richardodorman

[wolverineblues]

in recent metal twitter happenings, guy gets upset death metal band looks like a death metal band and gets absolutely clowned on for it

[whitehotharlots]

Reading recommendation (and a brief meditation on the utility of Frank Wilderson)

I’ve read an awful lot of self-styled “afropessimistic” theory. I’ve been wanting to write about it for some time. But there are significant hurdles. First off, I’d need to read a lot more if I wanted to engage with it in a scholarly sense, and reading it is a very painful chore. The effort required would necessitate a greater reward than the mild serotonin boost of a successful blog post, yet attaching my own name and affiliation to any critique would open me up to vicious reprisal, mostly from people who have not read any of the works being discussed.  I mean, come on... Look at the term: afropessimism. It can hardly be uttered aloud among the uninitiated, you have to explain that you’re not trying to dismiss an intellectual movement, that this is what these writers actually call themselves.

Long story short, I highly recommend this new piece from the LA Review of Books: “On Afropessimism,” by Jesse McCarthy. It’s a longform review of a new book by the man who coined the term, Frank Wilderson, titled simply Afropessimism.

I didn't come to Wilderson until long after reading Frantz Fannon, Derrick Bell, and Cornell West. These are all relatively fatalistic theorists who regard being black (or "blackness") as necessarily existing in a state of alterity, one that was perhaps inalterable, but they nonetheless did not regard themselves as fundamentally inhuman. Nor did they argue that reform is impossible (hence the “pessimism”) and that therefore inaction was the only viable approach to praxis. I've never read Orlando Patterson (the other foundational theorist cited in the by McCarthy), but this passage resonates strongly

Racial exceptionalism, political immutability, “antiblackness” as structural antagonism, and abjection in the form of “social death”: each of these concepts predates Afropessimism, and as I see it, together they form its foundation. Indeed, it is the synthesis of all of these ideas into one purportedly coherent worldview that I take to be the innovation of Afropessimism. I have deliberately chosen the writers, scholars, and thinkers cited above, however, precisely because they do not come to the same conclusions as Wilderson. Several could be said to be strongly opposed; even Derrick Bell (whom Wilderson might have suggested as a predecessor but does not cite in Afropessimism) ultimately counsels in his book’s epilogue that we move “beyond despair” and calls on us to “fashion a philosophy that both matches the unique dangers we face and enables us to recognize in those dangers opportunities for committed living and humane service.” Part of my point here is that those who disagree with the Afropessimist worldview cannot be simply dismissed as “soft” or naïve. Nor should anyone infer that simply because one critiques the Afropessimist synthesis, one cannot also hold strong views in agreement about any number of more specific points of analysis.

This has been one of the more striking aspects of the afropessimism becoming ascendant in mainstream anti-racism (aside from the fact that it's only rarely acknowledged as the intellectual base of the movement)--the belief that even people who take an aggressively dim view of race relations can still be dismissed as naive, or even as actively white supremacist, simply for suggesting that some degree of reform is desirable.

The description of Wilderson's work contained within McCarthy’s review gives us a glimpse into how such dismissal became normalized: a combination of utter self-assuredness and the ability to assert complete moral parallels between acts and situations that few sane people, prior to 2017, would have considered equivalent:

For many of us, such a leap is neither ethical nor comprehensible. But for Wilderson the portability and paradoxical fungibility of slavery fits perfectly with his interest in film and his Lacanian and Fanonian readings of it. How else to explain passages in Afropessimism in which incidents involving a terrible white roommate situation he and his girlfriend find themselves in circa 1979 are, for Wilderson, obviously comparable to Steve McQueen’s 2013 film, 12 Years a Slave, which was based on Solomon Northup’s 1853 slave narrative. This is not a jest, but a sustained and intensely explored analogy, in which the whipping of Patsey (played by Lupita Nyong’o in the film), descriptions of the cool sadism of Mary Epps (the slaveowner’s wife) from Northrup’s 1853 narrative, and Wilderson’s troubles with a batty white roommate all share the same stage. We are asked to imagine them as coequal and even coeval psychological theaters of cruelty, whose mise-en-scène simply involves different props. The plantation is everywhere and all the time. It is ontological, which means that it attaches trans-historically to all Black persons regardless of their social position.

How far does this go? In his academic monograph on film studies, Red, White & Black (2010), Wilderson forthrightly asserts that Black academics are not subalterns in the academy but “Slaves of their colleagues.” Is being talked down to in the faculty lounge really the same as being whipped at the post, or slinging rock on the corner, or being placed in solitary on Rikers Island as a juvenile? Is working at Merrill Lynch in New York as a Black woman really the same as working shifts as a Black gay man in a McDonald’s in Alabama? Is it ethical or desirable to confound all of these into a tortuous equivalency while telling those who propose to fight at your side to shut up because you don’t like the analogies they are using to connect themselves with your suffering?

For a long while I've been trying to argue that what we now regard as wokeness, at least in its present and culturally dominant state, has borrowed its means of comportment--if not its fundamental worldview--from afropessimism. This combination of hectoring paranoia and cocksure self-righteousness is now the norm in liberal spaces, even (maybe especially) among people who have no rational claim to especial victimhood.

Key to this is Wilderson’s assertion that blackness is not only an inescapable reality structuring all human existence, but that as such, it means that black people are fundamentally inhuman. Not just an exempted or subaltern class: a different conceptual entity altogether:

It is fair to ask of a [critical] “lens” whether it actually sharpens our view and, if so, to perform demonstrations of clarity? A major problem for Afropessimism is that its claim to revealing the underlying structural truth seems to repeatedly require abandoning any significant contact with historical reality. With social categories like class, gender, and material facts made irrelevant, the theoretical work is forced to concentrate itself in rhetorical aphorisms that seem to be slouching their way toward slogans. “The antagonist of the worker is the capitalist. The antagonist of the Native is the settler. But the antagonist of the Black is the Human being,” Wilderson tells us. The problem with this, apart from its faux-syllogistic form, is that human identities are not fixed and rigid boxes, but dynamic rings of change that merge and overlap. The Black Americans involved in the colonization scheme of Liberia in the 19th century were both Black (formerly enslaved on US plantations) and also settlers. Obviously, there are Black capitalists just as there are Black workers. Is there a double-jeopardy principle for antagonisms or some calculus by which they can be selectively negated?

Regarding oneself as inhuman means that you simply cannot win, even while you're winning. It means, also, that you get to exempt yourself from the rules of human interaction that are otherwise universal. Your statements and beliefs cannot be subject to any means of adjudication, since by your own self-understanding you will never be validated, which means in a bizarre turn of logic that your validity is inevitable. Your immorality is always assumed, which means your morality can never be put into question. Nothing you do or say can ever be considered bad or incorrect, because you believe yourself to have been exempted from such abstractions, that the only possible judge of yourself is therefore yourself. This is a tremendously inviting mode of comportment to both paranoid neurotics and mediocre intellects, which goes a long way in explaining how it became so popular so quickly. 

[thesportssoundoff]

“Still Trying To Figure It Out” UFC on ESPN Debut

Joey

Feb 10th, 2019

Sometimes a card is just weird. Sometimes you're presented a show that you just kind of can't figure out and this ESPN debut card from Arizona seems to fall into that mix. On paper, this is a really good card. The main card has a big boy headliner featuring a former UFC champion and a rejuvenated hype train that everybody will care about, the rest of the main card is all action fights on paper and the prelims are well matched and put together. You've got some damn good fights at bantamweight, some fun stuff at strawweight, some relevant 145ers and a big boy main event. Despite all that, I still don't have a great grip on how good this card is or whether it's a fools gold. It was in JULY (so not even eight months ago really) where Francis Ngannou threw nothing for fifteen minutes vs Derrick Lewis and Cain has been gone so long that it's worth remembering that we didn't have two weight classes (women's flyweight AND featherweight) the last time he fought. Debuts can be tricky so Kron vs Caceres could be awful, Felder vs Vick has no reason to not be fun but I've been hoodwinked before and the rest of the card can be hit or miss as well. There's also probably not one real stand out co-main event which doesn't help some folks but personally I think this is one of those rare cares (in today's MMA scene at least) where there's enough good up and down to create the illusion of a deep stacked card. I'm with it, let's see if anybody ELSE is with it along with me.

Fights: 13

Debuts: Kron Gracie

Fight Changes/Injury Cancellations: 1 (Lauren Murphy OUT, Andrea Lee IN vs Ashlee Evans Smith)

Headliners (fighters who have either main evented or co-main evented shows in the UFC): 10 (Francis Ngannou, Cain Velasquez, Andre Fili, Jimmie Rivera, Paul Felder, James Vick, Cynthia Calvillo, Alex Caceres, Jessica Penne, Renan Barao)

Fighters On Losing Streaks in the UFC: 3 (Renan Barao, Jessica Penne, Jodie Esquibel)

Fighters On Winning Streaks in the UFC: 6 (Alexandra Albu, Vicente Luque, Aljamain Sterling, Manny Bermudez, Scott Holtzman, Aleksandra Albu)

Main Card Record Since Jan 1st 2017 (in the UFC): 27-15

Francis Ngannou- 4-2 Cain Velasquez- 0-0 Paul Felder- 3-1 James Vick- 4-1 Courtney Casey- 2-2 Cynthia Calvillo- 4-1   Alex Caceres- 2-2 Kron Gracie- 0-0 Andre Fili- 2-2 Myles Jury- 2-2 Vicente Luque- 3-1 Bryan Barberena- 2-1

Fights By Weight Class (yearly number here):

Women’s Strawweight- 3 (4) Bantamweight- 3 (7) Lightweight- 2 (9) Women’s Flyweight- 1 (5) Heavyweight- 1 (3) Featherweight- 2 (5) Welterweight- 1 (6)

Middleweight- (4) Flyweight- (4) Light Heavyweight- (3)

2019’s Records We Keepin Track Of:

Debuting Fighters (2-10): Kron Gracie

Short Notice Fighters (1-4):  Andrea Lee

Second Fight (10-2):  Andrea Lee, Benito Lopez

Cage Corrosion (Fighters who have not fought within a year of the date of the fight) (3-1): Cain Velasquez, Alexandra Albu, Jessica Penne, Benito Lopez

Undefeated Fighters (3-7): Kron Gracie, Alexandra Albu

Fighters with at least four fights in the UFC with 0 wins over competition still in the organization (0-1): Nik Lentz, Renan Barao

Weight Class Jumpers (Fighters competing outside of the weight class of their last fight even if they’re returning BACK to their “normal weight class”) (4-4): Paul Felder

Twelve Precarious Ponderings

1- Who is under MORE pressure? Is it Cain Velasquez or is it Francis Ngannou? Cain's been gone for over two years now, has battled injury after injury after injury and had a few out of the cage squabbles with the UFC. It's worth remembering that Cain has fought just twice since the end of 2013 and even those two performances come with a ton of caveats (Travis Browne was cooked, the Werdum fight was at high altitude after a year and change off). On the other hand, Ngannou's 2018 couldn't of been more complicated. He started the year having brief flashes in a blow out loss vs Stipe Miocic where his takedown defense and cardio were "exposed" for five rounds. Even if you could forgive Ngannou for being a touch too green for a major title fight (which he had earned), the Derrick Lewis performance was unforgivable. He came out scared vs Lewis and for fifteen minutes, they put on the worst fight in the history of mixed martial arts. JUST when you might be ready to cash out on Ngannou, he blitzed and finished Curtis Blaydes in China in November. I don't know which fighter is under more pressure to perform at this point.

2- Does Ngannou get a title shot if he beats Cain? Could Francis Ngannou vs Daniel Cormier headline in April or June?

3- Last year fighters who took a year off or more between fights started the year at an ugly 1-8 while this year, small sample size and all, are 3-1. Can Cain keep those good vibes going or nah?

4- The best division in MMA nobody seems to give any sort of a shit about rolls onward as bantamweight has three damn good fights on this card. Unfortunately all of those fights are on the televised prelims (or ESPN+ for that matter) so here we are. Alex Caceres vs Kron Gracie had to be on the main card :/ We can begin with Aljamain Sterling vs Jimmie Rivera; a stupendous fight between fighters with similar strengths and weaknesses. Sterling finished Cody Stamman last time out while Jimmie Rivera cruised to a decision win over Jon Dodson. Both guys can commiserate over Marlon Moraes blow out first round losses. Benito Lopez vs Manny Bermudez is an A+ fight featuring two really different undefeated prospects. Lopez is super raw but exciting while Bermudez is a bit less raw but comes with the one stop shop finishing ability on the ground (as well as some developing pop on the feet). Lastly you have the kinda sorta really sad return of Renan Barao who has lost every bit of his uniqueness/athleticism at this point. Just no point for him to be fighting at 135 lbs anymore.

5- Any Kron Gracie opinions? I got none. Lack any sort of answers here.

6- Paul Felder vs James Vick is an interesting fight that's hard to care about unfortunately due to the fact that this division is such a messy state. James Vick had his four fight winning streak snapped violently at the hands of Justin Gaethje which is rough when you consider how hard and long it took Vick to get himself into a main event spot. Vick remains a dude who always seems one bad shot away from getting rocked, wobbled and finished despite his immense array of skills. Conversely Paul Felder had HIS modest three fight winning streak snapped when he went up in weight to face off against Mike Perry on short notice. Sandwiched in between that and the start of 2018, Felder had a fight taken from him at UFC 223, lost the opportunity to potentially fight for a title and ALSO lost a fight with James Vick potentially in a co-main event spot. Felder's really strong at 155 lbs and he's matured a little bit, picking his spots a bit clearer after being a dude who just loved to do spinning shit over and over. The winner is one of those dudes who gets to hang around the bottom half of the top 10 a bit longer.

7- Courtney Casey vs Cynthia Calvillo is a really good fight that could be the quintessential showcase bout for Cynthia Calvillo if it hangs around on the ground for a while. I'd almost say this fight is co-main worthy but Courtney Casey seems like she's 0-10 on UFC main cards.

8- Imagine having a dude like Vicente Luque and opting to have him fight friggin' Bryan Barberena. A rankings fight that doesn't make a single lick of sense.

9- I am really really excited to see the fight between Scott Holtzman and Nick Lentz. Holtzman has been getting better with each performance and while he's still super flawed and has at least one stretch per fight where he puts himself in a bad spot, there's some serious strides being made by Holtzman. His domination of Alan Patrick last time out should at the very least open some doors on whether or not he still has more upside hidden somewhere. 155 lbs continues to be a very loaded division as more dudes have late breakouts.

10- Not gonna lie I totally thought Jessica Penne got cut at some point.

11- That two year run with Barao at the helm of the division from like 2012 to 2014 was kinda cool, riiiight?

12- First card of the year with no 205 lb fight on it. I'm disappointed!

[junker-town]

The Bulls are finally acting like a big market team again

Bulls fans pleaded for a front office change for years. When it finally happened, the team suddenly started acting like the premier franchise it always should have been.

It started with a billboard. Chicago Bulls fans took it upon themselves to raise more than $8K for an advertisement on the corner of Lake St. and N. Racine Ave. in the city’s West Loop neighborhood with a simple message: “Fire GarPax.”

The sign had gone up just weeks after the Bulls’ braintrust of John Paxson and Gar Forman decided to trade Jimmy Butler, a flat-out superstar in the prime of career with two years left on a contract that was massively below market value. It was the type of scenario most front offices and ownership groups dream about, one that opens up an endless amount of team-building avenues with a little creativity. Instead, the Bulls chose to punt, deciding they’d rather sacrifice a few seasons by tanking than trying to build around the best draft pick they ever made.

Three years later, Butler returned to the United Center again, this time to be named an NBA All-Star for the fifth time in his career. The game was in Chicago, but the Bulls’ presence was merely relegated hosting duties. The franchise had no All-Stars, but it was worse than that. There was no hope. The Bulls were among the NBA’s worst teams year after year, but they weren’t quite bad enough or lucky enough to land Luka Doncic or Zion Williamson. The only time the Bulls were ever discussed nationally is when their comically overmatched head coach found a new way to embarrass himself and his city, be it by igniting a near player mutiny a week into the job, installing a literal punch clock in the practice facility, or annoying opposing coaches with his bizarre timeout usage.

As the team’s best player, Zach LaVine, was being interviewed by ESPN right outside the arena, fans interrupted his answers with a loud “Fire GarPax” chant. It was a new level of rock bottom for an organization that only specialized in reestablishing how low it could go.

It never should have been on the fans to get this involved, of course. Paxson had been the team’s top executive for 17 (!) years; Forman was brought into the fold when the team hired Tim Floyd to replace Phil Jackson in 1998. The decision to fire them should have been an easy one, but even the simplest choices become convoluted in the weird world of owner Jerry Reinsdorf. To the chairman, keeping Paxson and Forman was an extension of the ‘loyalty’ that his closest allies believed was his defining characteristic. To everyone else, it was a fancy way of saying he was either too cheap or too lazy to care about his team as much as the fanbase did.

Paxson could have had his job forever if he wanted to, but why? He was clearly miserable. He had started calling his radio interviews “interrogations,” his team was terrible, his hand-picked coach had turned into a punchline. The billboard, the chants, the losses, it finally started to pile up.

Paxson did the only thing he could do: he asked to be replaced.

Photo by Joe Pinchin/NBAE via Getty Images

Two years later, the Bulls have a new front office and a reinvigorated sense of hope, even as the team entered Thursday’s trade deadline five games below .500. Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley were hired from the Nuggets and 76ers respectively to be the team’s new braintrust. Forman was fired, and Paxson was promoted into a position of no authority. Jim Boylen’s dissertations on spirit and the soul after every loss have been replaced by Billy Donovan’s competence and professionalism.

A team that had zero All-Stars only two short years ago now has two.

The Bulls swung the biggest deal of the trade deadline, sending out two lightly-protected first round picks and former GarPax lottery selection Wendell Carter Jr. to the Orlando Magic for Nikola Vucevic and Al-Farouq Aminu. It would be headline news for any team, because Vucevic was the only star that changed teams at the deadline. For the Bulls, it felt like a signal that they should finally be taken seriously.

For the last two decades, the Chicago Bulls did not make trades with the goal of improving the team. Yes, they swung a deal for John Salmons and Brad Miller ahead of an instant classic playoff series with the Boston Celtics in 2009. We’ll also give them credit for acquiring Otto Porter Jr. — included in the Vucevich trade as a salary match — even if it didn’t work out. Aside from those two examples, every trade the Bulls made in the last 12 years was essentially a salary dump. By trading for Vucevich, the Bulls were for once acting like the big market team they always should have been.

Karnisovas and Eversley had to do something. Since being hired ahead of last offseason, their only moves were signing veteran Garrett Temple to a one-year deal and drafting Patrick Williams at No. 4 overall. The rest of the roster was untouched from what Paxson and Forman had built. Hiring a real coach in Donovan had at least made the Bulls less humiliating, but any improvement was coming from resurgent veterans like Thad Young and an incredible efficiency leap from LaVine rather than the players the Bulls drafted in the top-10 after trading Butler.

Lauri Markkanen, Coby White, and Carter were’t going to be the saviors GarPax had hoped for. The Bulls either needed to trade LaVine and tear it down again, or give him a true co-star. The Bulls believe they have found the latter in Vucevic.

The player Vucevic is today at age-30 barely resembles who he was when he entered the league in the 2011 draft. The 6’11 big man did most of his work in the post throughout the start of his career in Philadelphia and Orlando before he remade his game to fit into a league that demanded more shooting range out of its big men. After not even attempting 10 three-pointers total in any of his first five seasons in the league, Vucevic has turned himself into something close to a knockdown threat. This year, he’s making 40 percent of his threes on 6.5 attempts per game.

Vucevic has never played with anyone as good as LaVine, and LaVine has never played with anyone as good as his new center. The two should form a deadly two-game on offense with Vucevic’s newfound shooting ability setting up a killer pick-and-pop routine. LaVine is already one of the league’s best at getting to the basket. Add in Vucevic’s passing ability — he’s finished in the 93rd percentile or above in assist rate for centers the last four years, per Cleaning the Glass — and the Bulls’ offense just became a lot more dynamic.

The Vucevic trade wasn’t the only move the Bulls made on Thursday. They also pulled off a three-team trade highlighted by the acquisitions 21-year-old guard Troy Brown Jr. and veteran center Daniel Theis from the Celtics. Theis has been a productive player in Boston for the last four years and was only let go so the team could avoid the luxury tax. Brown is a former five-star high school recruit at point guard (here’s a 2015 feature we wrote on him back in the day) who was moved to the wing in college in Oregon and then in the NBA. While Chicago’s rumored pursuit for Lonzo Ball came up short, it’s possible Brown could play a similar game as a connecting piece who brings plenty of skills to the table without needing to be a volume scorer.

It is no exaggeration to say Karnisovas made more trades to impact the roster in the span of a few hours than Paxson did in nearly two decades. The previous regime wanted to build slowly through the draft, hoping their selections would mature together and form a golden generation for the organization. They found some success with the Kirk Hinrich, Ben Gordon, Luol Deng clubs of the mid-00s, and again with Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, and Tom Thibodeau at the start of the 2010s. Those teams always came up just short, though, handicapped by their own narrowing thinking and refusal to throw their weight around as a big market club.

The deal the Bulls made for Vucevic on Thursday was the type they should have made when they had Butler. No one would have missed mid-round picks like Bobby Portis, Tony Snell, and Denzel Valentine then. In reality, the Bulls likely never even seriously considered it. By finally ditching GarPax, the Bulls opened up a whole new world of possibilities the franchise had spent decades ignoring.

Perhaps the most exciting thing for the franchise is that there’s more work to be done. Adding Vucevich makes the team better, but it doesn’t exactly lift them to contender status in the East. The Bulls need to take another big swing. You can bet they’re going to do it after the way they overhauled the roster at the trade deadline.

Chicago could still be waiting for its precious draft picks to develop right now if the fans hadn’t taken matters into their own hands. The Reinsdorfs just didn’t care enough to install a new front office themselves. Whether this is the start of the Bulls changing their league-wide perception remains to be seen, but for once the Bulls did something different. They thought big.

[auburnfamilynews]

Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

How low can you go?

Oh boy, this ought to be a hoot. Auburn got trucked in Athens, with very few players bringing the effort necessary to win a game against the most talented team per capita in the country.

Some position groups might not have even been there with the way we played, while others showed that they indeed wanted to play Auburn football. How did we grade? Read along:

QUARTERBACK - R (for RUN FOR YOUR LIFE)

Bo Nix was not great this past Saturday. Now, a lot of that had to do with a game plan asking him to be a hero against the best defense in the country behind what might be the worst offensive line in the conference. He was not put in a position to succeed and it resulted in catastrophe for the Tigers offense.

But that doesn’t mean he was a passive participant in that, uh how can I put this nicely, “poopshow” of a performance. Elite quarterbacks raise the play of their teammates. Elite quarterbacks make big time plays even in less than ideal circumstances. Elite quarterbacks still lose but they elevate their offense anyway.

Bo Nix is not yet an elite quarterback. He might still become one but he’s not there yet. There were chances for Auburn to land some haymakers. It’s unlikely any would have left UGA on the mat for long given the Dawgs dominance along the line of scrimmage but there were some chances where Nix could have given his team some confidence. Two deep shots to Anthony Schwartz jump out, especially that 2nd quarter miss where Schwartz had a step on his defender and a touchdown would have made this a 17-7 game.

If you are going to be a championship calibre quarterback you have to hit those shots when you get a chance. Nix is still not doing it. He has to get better and do a better job capitalizing on big play opportunities especially against elite teams. We saw these same misses last year in College Station, Gainesville and Baton Rouge. Until that changes, there’s a firm ceiling on this offense that will prevent this team from winning anything meaningful in the next 2-3 years.

RUNNING BACKS - A-minus

DISCLAIMER: This ranking is solely predicated on measuring the effectiveness of those who played, which was few

Auburn probably found the back of the future on Saturday night in Tank Bigsby, who got his first real extended action with Shaun Shivers’ injury and D.J. Williams’ apparent lack of speed. What we saw in Athens was the only player who 110% wanted to be there, win, and wasn’t afraid of Georgia. Everyone else played scared or tight. He finished with 8 carries for 31 yards and 7 catches for 68 yards, a couple touches consisting of heroic efforts to negate plays that would’ve otherwise been huge losses. He honestly showed the kind of wiggle and strength that we saw out of his position coach in Sanford Stadium in 2001, but we had less help on Saturday. Georgia was also better than they were eighteen years ago.

The position group is given an A- because of D.J. Williams’ ineffectiveness (no carries, 1 catch for -4 yards), and because there’s still room for improvement from Tank in spite of his great night. Tank can become the absolute start back at Auburn, but we have to figure out how to use him and reward him for being the only guy leaving everything out there on Saturday. An offensive line wouldn’t hurt either.

WIDE RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS - D (for Drops)

I will say, there weren’t a ton of opportunities for the receivers to show out in this one. With a lethal pass rush from Georgia, and Bo being lucky to just get the ball in the air near the intended receivers, any production from them would have been a gift. That being said, this group gets heavily penalized by a severe case of the drops. Sure, Seth Williams’s drop would have been a highlight real touchdown if he had reeled it in, but we also saw Shedrick Jackson drop two balls as well (one of them ended up being called for targeting, but my point stands).

The highlight of the night certainly goes to J.J. Pegues, who only recorded three touches for eight yards, but the big man converted third downs on both of his carries out of the Wildcat. Props for that I guess.

OFFENSIVE LINE - L (for Lost.)

The next time you hear someone defend Herb Hand and JB Grimes, show them this:

This is one of the most pitiful efforts in the history of Auburn football. No I’m not talking about the game. I’m talking about how vastly under-prepared this position group is from a personnel/roster management standpoint. After having 2 transfers start in 2017, the regression of offensive line play at Auburn from 2018 - present has been the root problem of this football program. We have not been able to run the football since Kerryon Johnson got hurt against Alabama and now in 2020 we cannot protect the quarterback. What’s so damning about this is that SO MANY PEOPLE SAW THIS COMING.

I can’t even blame Jack Bicknell for this because I think he’s the first offensive line coach Auburn has had since Jeff Grimes (should’ve been retained after 2012 by Gus) who understands how to recruit offensive linemen at Auburn. But he’s probably unable to fully fix it until 2022 at the earliest! And yet, none of these issues are new! None of this is a surprise!

The identity of any offense is based around its offensive line, which explains at least in part why we looked so completely lost as a unit Saturday night. But as bad as the line looked, the real shame is on whoever it is on that sideline who insists upon rotating offensive linemen 2 games into a season. Sure, this group didn’t have this summer to build cohesion thanks to COVID. That’s tough for any group. But you are extending this problem out by continuing to rotate guys. And I don’t think it requires a lot of thinking to see that the most ideal starting group right now probably looks like this:

Left Tackle - Austin Troxell

Left Guard - Brandon Council

Center - Nick Brahams

Right Guard - Keiondre Jones

Right Tackle - Brodarious Hamm

Even with that group, the grades looked abysmal Saturday night based on what was said by the PFF folks. But this position group cannot get better without playing together. Run with these 5, and let them take their lumps and grow. In the meantime, the unit looks lost. I will say that it sure doesn’t help that it was abundantly clear that we were tighter than the Fat Man Squeeze at Rock City thanks to a group of coaches who don’t appear to trust their players and go into a turtleshell each time we play a competent football team away from Jordan-Hare Stadium. You could see that in the opening drive with penalties.

So yeah, the offensive line, and whoever is on that sideline refusing to trust his players and doing this rotation BS deserve a grade worse than F. They deserve to be called out for being LOST.

DEFENSIVE LINE - H (for How?)

I think we all expected this defensive front to regress significantly from last year. Nothing about that is a surprise when you lose a generational talent like Derrick Brown, who friend of the program Justin Ferguson swears is the greatest defensive player in Auburn history. Certainly an argument can be made. That being said, how in the hell do you get blown off the ball this poorly? How in the hell have several of these guys, who have played a significant number of snaps in this defense, not improved since the first year they stepped on campus?

This is the first year that we haven’t had a sure-fire NFL defensive lineman on this team since Gus got to Auburn. And that would be enough of a reason to be upset but also understand why our backs broke in the 2nd half...if that had happened. Instead, this group was dominated from the start, letting a walk on quarterback keep his jersey clean for the majority of the game, and let Georgia bully you in the run game all night. This score could have been 21 points worse, but Georgia was having too much fun pushing our defensive line into the belly of our linebackers.

I expected a regression, and I have confidence in Rodney Garner. Really I’m more angry at the offense since 2016 for wasting 4 years of championship-level defense than I am a bad night at the office without the NFL talent of a year ago. But none of that should make you, me, Gus, Rodney, or anyone associated with this program any less embarrassed by the utter domination by the Georgia offensive line.

LINEBACKERS - D (for Dreadful)

I understand that it’s difficult to make plays when offensive linemen are hitting you, but when you engage a running back (even a five-star one) you don’t need to be getting pushed back every single time. K.J. Britt, Owen Pappoe, and Zakoby McClain again combined for a ton of tackles (28 total), but they came several yards downfield almost every play. McClain had the lone tackle for loss of the group (a sack), but the group lost contain when blitzing, couldn’t hang with the backs out the backfield on short passes, and gave ground on run plays up the middle.

Refer to the guide below, from Harry Potter. These guys were still in the right place a lot of the time, but they didn’t make the plays necessary, and the middle of the field was a place where Georgia got a bookoodle of their yardage. 28 total tackles is nice, but we’re throwing them a D for Dreadful anyway. Be thankful it’s not T for Troll.

DEFENSIVE BACKS - C (for Coverage Optional)

This secondary had a range of performance on Saturday. Roger McCreary for the most part shut down George Pickens, allowing the star receiver just 26 yards on two catches from five targets. One of those catches (and 21 of the yards) were from a touchdown, but the coverage wasn’t necessarily bad there. It was just a perfect pass and catch from the offense. Jordyn Peters and Jamien Sherwood proved to be just fine at safety, with the pair combining for 27 tackles. Generally you want your front seven picking up most of the tackles when the opponent is running the ball down your throat, but nevertheless, that isn’t the safeties’ fault.

Now comes the part that was... not good. At all. Georgia was able to pull a page out of Alabama’s playbook and just abuse Christian Tutt, with Kearis Jackson picking up nine catches for 147 yards. Nehimiah Pritchett struggled mightily as well, although it’s hard to blame him as he was filling in for an injured Jaylin Simpson.

SPECIAL TEAMS - B (for not Bad)

Congratulations, boys. You’re not the reason Auburn lost. There’s probably only one other position group that can say that. Carlson hit both of his field goals. Punt coverage was good. Kickoff coverage wasn’t great on the first one to ding it back to a B. That’s about it.

COACHING - D+

Auburn’s coaching was suspect Saturday. Down 3 scores late in the first half, Auburn elected to kick a field goal, to make it a...three score game. The decision to keep rotating the offensive line is not one I understand. And some of the offensive playcalls around the goal line were...well, they were blah. Auburn couldn’t out-talent Georgia Saturday. Ultimately, that’s on the coaches for recruiting. And if you can’t out-talent an opponent, you have to out-execute and out-scheme. Auburn did neither of those things. I won’t fault the coaches for in-game execution, but Georgia didn’t look surprised by anything Auburn threw at them.

Credit to Kevin Steele (I sound like a broken record) for impressive halftime adjustments. Holding Georgia to only 3 second half points is the only thing saving the coaches from a failing grade. This team didn’t totally quit.

FANS - F

They were Georgia fans, so they probably barked at strangers and were generally lacking in self awareness. Also, their student section didn’t seem to follow any COVID restrictions.

from College and Magnolia - All Posts https://www.collegeandmagnolia.com/2020/10/7/21503374/position-grades-4-georgia-27-7-auburn-6

[etc-greys]

Season 13 Episode 23: True Colors

Songs of the Episode:

Backseat by Dagny

Dynamite by Nicky Blitz

Last to Know by Electric Owls

Synopsis:

Okay so this episode is INSANE! There is so much happening… just so much. Your emotions will be everywhere. You will probably yell at your screen. You will need tissues.

Meredith and Riggs are in bed together, and when she wakes up she’s stressed. She’s not ready for Riggs to meet the kids, especially if he comes out of their mama’s bed. Amelia rolls over in her bed and it’s mad evident that she misses Owen.

Meanwhile Owen is woken up to the sound of knocking on the door. He opens up the door to find two Army officials. He is in such a phase that we can’t make out what they are saying but it is safe to assume it’s about Megan. He’s sobbing, so you are made to believe that she died.

After only three therapy sessions, Steph asks for clearance. With little to know pushback, Webber signs off on it.

Alex finds Jo’s husband. His name is Paul Stadler. He goes to a conference and contemplates going up to him.

Owen shows up to work in a haze. A baby, who is choking, is rushed into the ER. He gives her a very forceful (excessive really) backslap. He ends up saving the little baby’s life!   Two patients are sent to the ER, who are expected to have been sleeping together in the car, when they get into an accident. Steph, April, Bailey, Deluca, and Jackson are all working on the case together. Stephanie gets called out when Minnick comes into the exam room and she scolds her for skipping out on counseling. Immediately after she puts her on scut work, as a form of punishment.

The little girl, whose baby sister was choking, goes wandering around the hospital. Her father and mother are both distracted by the baby’s scare and they lose track of their older daughter. The husband keeps texting the nanny (obviously having an affair) and paying no mind to his child. They ask to speak with Owen… uh oh.

Alex just stares at Jo’s husband, trying to come up with the words to say to him. All of the sudden he goes up to him and starts up a conversation about his work as a doctor. He tells him his name is Alex Stevens (any old fans will find this to be super ironic because that was the last name of his first wife Izzie). They drink together and Alex ends up getting him really drunk. As they are walking out together, Paul gets a call from his current girlfriend. Getting angry he yells that she doesn’t have to know where he is at all times and he’ll call her when he wants. The then throws his phone across the street shattering it. Alex is brewing after seeing the way he treated the girlfriend and thinks of Jo. At this point he begins beating him to a pulp. (In case you’re wondering, I was screaming at my tv! I couldn’t believe my eyes. I was terrified for Alex’s fate). He KILLS him. Yes that’s right he kills him and ends up in JAIL again. (Now crying!)…

Oh wait… that’s just a vision. SHONDA WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO DO TO ME. I LITERALLY FREAKED OUT AND THEN POOF IT WASN’T REAL. While I am thankful it was only a vision, nonetheless it terrified me.

The guy who was in the accident with the girl wakes up and wants to see his presumed girlfriend. But he has a liver lack which could kill him if he moves, so he’s not allowed to see her. All the doctors then get into a debate about what they think the two patients are to each other. Some think it’s just a hookup. Others believe they are in love. Jackson and Maggie presume the worst, until they are considered cynical by the group. Maggie then decides to change her view and chooses to believe that they are in love. Trying to convince herself and Jackson that she isn’t cynical, Jackson just laughs at her determination.

After Mer had already returned the little girl to her parents when she attempted to play with a syringe full of epi, she find her again but this time in the X-ray scan viewing room. Riggs is great with her, extremely patient, and delightfully brings her back to her parents. Mer impressed with his skills with kids, decides to invite him to dinner with her kids. Mer begins to freak out a bit when she realizes what she’s done. She goes to Amelia to talk and tells her that she feels sick. Amelia ends up being her rock and pushes her to be comfortable with the uncomfortable.

Owen goes to talk with the family. Don’t worry they thank him! (phew) But as they are expressing their gratitude, he freaks out when she hugs him. Amelia, having witnessed the event, pulls him aside and finds out THE SISTER IS STILL ALIVE. It turns out that she was trapped in a basement for 10 years overseas. He’s absolutely terrified to believe that it might not be her, he doesn’t want to get his hopes up. Amelia decides that it’s time they find out. SHE REALLY IS THE REAL MVP IN THIS EPISODE!

We’re back to Alex. This time he finds Paul as he’s about to go on stage. He threatens him and tells him to stay away from Brooke Stadler… THAT’S RIGHT WE FIND OUT JO’S REAL NAME! But things go awry when Alex returns home. He goes to the Jolex apartment to talk to Jo when he here’s sounds of distress. He finds the door open and Paul on top of Jo. HE’S CHOKING HER! HE THEN TELLS ALEX: “HEY ALEX, I FOUND HER.” HE KILLED HER! (LITERALLY SOBBING RIGHT NOW) Hold on I need a few moments to gather myself…

So it turns out it was another vision. SHONDA. I JUST DON’T UNDERSTAND. I WASN’T READY FOR THAT. ALSO THAT WAS JUST SO CRUEL. But THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR NOT ACTUALLY KILLING HER! … AND FOR NOT CRUSHING MY JOLEX DREAMS.

Stephanie is still working with the guy who was in the car accident and he persuades her to take him to visit the girlfriend.

Amelia and Owen go back to Mer’s house to find more information about Megan. Amelia speaks german? That’s just awesome! She ends up talking to Teddy Altman (another throwback to the OG Grey’s fans! She was the old Cardio surgeon who worked with Cristina and was best friends with Owen in the Army). Teddy confirms that it is definitely Megan. She has her transferred to Grey Sloan. Owen feels extremely guilty for giving up on his search for his sister. He just feels awful for moving on, living his life, while she was forgotten and being tortured for over ten years. Amelia hires the best PTSD expert for both Megan and Owen, so that they can recover together. They are certainly headed toward an uphill battle and this will most definitely take time.

They are definitely trying to ship Jackson and Maggie. They’ve been focusing on their relationship more and more this season. I think it’s only a matter of time before they hook up, or at least if they don’t someone is going to be friend zoned.

When they check on the girl who was in the accident, she is able to speak. She asks for the guy, wishing for his death…. Why you may ask? Well it turns out he got in her car and threatened to kill her. He forced her to drive into the woods so that he could rape her. But she was not about to let that happened and she pressed the gas forcing them to crash. Just as they receive this information the find that both him and Edwards are missing. THEY CALL A CODE ORANGE. Steph has no idea that he is a rapist or that he’s dangerous.

Alex decides to head home. Paul comes from behind him and steal Alex’s cab. In that moment Alex decides to let the husband take the cab and doesn’t say anything. There is an extremely long stare down… Something doesn't seem right about this. And I truly don’t believe that his story is over.

The police run past Edwards and the patient, and a doctor tells Stephanie that a rapist is on the loose. She then realizes something is very wrong, just as he holds a scalpel to her throat threatening to kill her if she doesn't get him out of the hospital. They head towards the stairs and he freaks out because he can barely walk. He forces her to help him down the stairs. As they are descending the stairs, she tries to shove him and he cuts her a bit on the throat. He threatens to go deeper if she tries anything again. Then they get out on an empty floor. OF COURSE THE LITTLE GIRL IS ON THIS FLOOR. Are you kidding me? Her parents need to pay attention to their child! Like what are you doing?!?! It turns out the doors are locked because of the lockdown. They are all stuck.

Mer comes home to find Owen asleep in Amelia’s lap on the couch. She tells Mer about Megan. She runs to tell Nathan, explaining that if it were her and Derrick, she would want to know.

There is no way out, that is until Stephanie makes the suggestion that a fire would be the only way the doors would open. Not understanding how crazy he truly is, he decides that’s a marvelous idea. She tries to talk him out of it when the little girl HOLDS OUT IN HER HAND A SPARK LIGHTER. SERIOUSLY? Little girl what are you doing? He makes her gather materials to start the fire, until Stephanie shames him to do it himself. As he is trying to place the fire closer to the detector Stephanie sees the oil and tells the girl to cover her eyes. She grabs the oil and SPRAYS IT ALL OVER HIM AND THE FLOOR AROUND HIM! THE FIRE PARTICLES FALL ON HIM AND HE ERUPTS INTO FLAMES! Yes, he’s literally on fire! Stephanie and the little girl hide in one of the exam rooms. But suddenly Stephanie sees that he is getting way too close to the oxygen tank. She tells the little girl to go to the far corner of the room and she runs to try to stop him… BUT IT EXPLODES SENDING HER FLYING BACK!

Does she die? While it’s not confirmed, my guess is that she did. Multiple explosions happen. Mer sees it. BLACKOUT.

A few additional thoughts:

I don’t even know where to begin. SO much has happened in such a short span of time. But I will say this, I think that Stephanie will die a hero. She tried to save the lives of many by sacrificing herself to stop the fire from setting off the gas tanks. I’m really disheartened by her loss and I think this is going to really change the morale of the hospital. She truly was an incredible doctor and I’m going to miss her on the show.

As for Megan. She is going to need a lot of therapy and time to recover after being imprisoned for so long. Both Nathan, Owen, and Owen’s mom are going to need to attend a lot of counseling to repair the damage done. I also think that this will end things between Mer and Riggs. He’s going to need time to process everything and reconnect with the first love of his life. Obviously she will understand and I truly believe she will be his confidant throughout the whole healing process.

Jo and Alex are on the mends, but something tells me that the season finale is going to do some major damage. I think Alex is going to tell Jo that he went to see her husband, but chose to remain silent. He didn’t want to put her in harms way or end up in jail for murder. This will put a strain on their relationship, but when Paul returns it will force them back together. I really wouldn’t be surprised if 1. he found Jo or 2. he ends up getting a job at Grey Sloan. I 100% believe that they are still in love with each other (I mean Alex found her husband and was willing to put himself in danger/at risk of jail time to confront her husband) and by him not doing anything shows Jo that he’s grown. Regardless, I think the only way they are going to overcome this is together.

Also what will happen to all of the people in the hospital? The patients, the doctors, nurses, everyone is now at risk! Not to mention the amount of damage the hospital will have when it’s all over. What does this mean for the fate of Grey Sloan? I’m terrified for the finale, but it will definitely leave us all on our toes!

[ecoorganic]

MMQB: Matt Rhule Leaning on College Experience in Carolina; Joey Bosa's Big Payday

Plus, Joey Bosa's contract was a milestone for his whole Bosa family, the Chiefs and Texans are getting closer to real football, Derrius Guice's release and the latest on opt-outs in the NFL and college.

Matt Rhule might’ve held the hot dog eating contest regardless. But the one he put on Friday—with the rookie linemen going head-to-head—definitely took on a different look than it would have otherwise.

For one, it was inside Bank of America Stadium, rather than at Wofford College in Spartanburg, S.C. Also, everyone was distanced, and those not going Joey Chestnut on the food were wearing masks. And it went down before a single Panther had so much as buckled a chinstrap for a Rhule-run practice.

Because of all that, the team-building exercise took on a new level of importance, too.

“At a time when guys can’t even see each other’s faces, because we’re wearing the masks, getting to know each other’s personalities a little bit is fun. And it’s important,” Rhule said on Saturday, the players’ first day off of camp. “With no tryouts, and when you sign somebody it’s taking four or five days to get them in the building because of the testing protocols, it’s more like college, in that your team is kind of your team. You have to find out what people can do.”

On this day, Rhule found out the young defensive linemen could crush hot dogs faster than their offensive counterparts. In case you’re wondering, the coach’s fellow Penn Stater Yetur Gross-Matos was the star, and the defense got a trophy and the right to show up to work a little later on Sunday for the effort.

Moreover, it gave him another way where maybe he could use his experience the last seven years as a head coach in the college ranks to his advantage.

That’s important too, because he knows the score here. Most people look at the spot he and the NFL’s other four first-year coaches are in, and think, Those guys have no shot. And Rhule acknowledges that there are challenges he, Joe Judge, Kevin Stefanski, Ron Rivera and Mike McCarthy are facing now that are pretty unique to 2020.

“The hard things, you can identify them right away. We go out to the practice field and things as simple as, ‘Hey, here’s how we want to warm up.’; ‘Hey, here’s where I want you guys to stand’; ‘Here’s how we do this drill.’ We’re going through all that now—six weeks before the first game,” Rhule said. “That’s crazy. Those are things normally we would’ve done in May, and by now we’d have a really good feel for how we’d use our players, because we’d have worked with them.

“We’re sitting here in August and I still haven’t a full-sheet drill with anybody on our defense or offense yet. That part is gonna be hard. Evaluating your roster, not just on who makes your roster but how to use them is gonna be really hard. That part’s legitimately a challenge.”

But here’s the thing: Where Rhule lacks NFL head-coaching experience, he can lap the field in the level of challenges he’s faced in running football programs. Which has given him a lot of experience in finding answers.

On Friday, one was holding a hot dog eating contest. Over the next few weeks, he’ll need plenty more in just about everything he does.

***

We’re inching closer to real, live football practice—the Texans and Chiefs put on helmets on Sunday, becoming the first teams to do that en masse since K.C. and the Niners left the Hard Rock Stadium field six months ago. And that means actual football’s closer, which gives us a ton to get to in the MMQB. This week, we’re bringing:

• An inside look at how meaningful Joey Bosa’s contract was to the Bosa family.

• A window into the opt-out decision of high-end pass-rush prospect Greg Rousseau.

• The players’ view of how the early parts of camp have gone thus far.

And, of course, we’ll have our normal run of football-related notes. But we’re starting with Rhule and the Panthers, the challenges the coach has faced before—and how they serve him now.

***

Rhule arrived at Temple in 2013 to a down-trending program one year past moving from the MAC to the Big East (then renamed the AAC). He went to Baylor in 2017 and into something much worse—the program was coming out of a sexual-assault scandal, with players fleeing the program like rats off a sinking ship. And in both cases, Rhule told his staff, We’re going to roll with all these young players and live with their mistakes.

In both places, by the end of Year 1, a true freshman was starting at quarterback, and wins were hard to come by early on. Those Year 1 teams finished a combined 3–21.

“What we tried to do at both Temple and Baylor was to say, Hey, this is the way we’re gonna play,” Rhule said. “We refer to it as our brand. We wanted to establish our brand of football. So I look at it now, and I’m blessed in that on defense we have some guys who’ve played before in K.K. [Short] and Shaq Thompson and Tahir Whitehead and Tre [Boston] and Donte Jackson. But we’re also going to be counting on some young players—you have Jeremy Chinn, you have Derrick Brown.

“It’s similar in that we drafted all these young players, and we’re gonna put them out there and play with them. And what’s most important is that they play the way we want to play forever, that we’re a physical, fast football team, that we establish what we stand for, our style, our brand.”

So if you want to know what Rhule will prioritize, and try to build in the limited time he’s getting with his players before the opener against the Raiders in five weeks, that’s it.

But more interesting to me in talking to Rhule was how he’d go about getting there. You might’ve heard Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury say a few weeks back that he believed his experience in college would help him in navigating the truncated 2020 schedule, and there’s a lot of logic behind that. College coaches have to work around the 20-hour rule, class schedules and absence of a preseason, among other things, to get their teams ready.

That, in Rhule’s case, is just the beginning of where his experience leading college programs should help. Which is why, in this weirdest of years, I figured he’d be the most interesting guy in the league to talk to about finding solutions, with the dog days of camp coming. And the conversation didn’t disappoint. Here’s where we took it …

Where the protocols create issues for other coaches, Rhule finds some normalcy. And this isn’t about the amount of days or weeks teams get, it’s more about the way their days will go. Within the time prescribed, coaches will have to allow for testing, for increased or more complicated foot traffic to and from different meetings/workouts—and many of the players will be coming and going from home, rather than all together from a hotel.

It’ll be nuts for some, not for the Panthers.

“This practice plan looks so much like what we did at Baylor,” Rhule said. “And the thing about Baylor is, last year, our guys were in classes, in summer school, for the first two weeks of camp. So, literally, I was scheduling meetings around classes. Now, you come in and there’s protocols and those things, and it’s like, ‘Well, I’m used to that.’ You have to do what you have to do.

“This year, we couldn’t go away, we’re not all at one hotel. Well, we didn’t go away in college. Guys were living in their apartments. So from no preseason games to the scheduling challenges to all the things that come up in college, you just learn to say to yourself, Hey, what’s really, really important?”

Which goes back to the idea of establishing the brand.

And defining that brand may be more in execution, than diversity of scheme. Rhule wants his coaches to be realistic. Whatever the best laid plans were for the systems on offense or defense back in February or March probably aren’t realistic now.

“The thing I always tell our guys, we can be complex, but we can’t be complicated,” Rhule said. “To me, it’s about the amount of things you can do. I never want to sacrifice the football part and make it simple. But at the same time, we can say, Instead of doing 10 things well, we’re gonna do five things really well this year, and as the year goes on maybe we can add six and seven. Coaches don’t like that, because they always like feeling like they have bullets in the gun—I can do this, this and this.

“But players win games, so I want our players to be confident. We have five or six weeks to get our players confident.”

And he does believe his staff is positioned to do that. Remember, offensive coordinator Joe Brady took an LSU offense that had long been stepsister to that program’s defense, and broke all the records in a single year. Meanwhile, defensive coordinator Phil Snow was with Rhule at Temple and Baylor, where they got a steady stream of 18-year-old freshman on the field right away.

“Every year, we’ve had to start a true freshman on defense, who are literally coming out of high school, straight from the prom, and all of a sudden he’s starting for you,” Rhule said. “You want to be complex, you want to have all kinds of things. But you also want your players to be ready to play and play fast. So we’d love OTAs for those freshmen. But they had to be ready to go. So being in a position where we’re gonna play first-year players and draftees, that’s something, as college guys, [Brady and Snow are] used to.”

Camp will be taxing. Pro football players, and their coaches, are conditioned to have a difficult couple weeks of camp to start, with things getting broken up from there with preseason games. This year will be different in that regard, too. And the result is a world Rhule’s lived in for all but one year (when he was with the Giants in 2012) of his professional life.

“It’ll be a true training camp grind, just practice after practice after practice, with no game in sight,” Rhule said. “It’ll be like college that way, gotta put your head down and just wake up every morning, go to work, rest, go to bed, wake up the next day and do it all over again. Without having the breakup in the monotony, with the game, preseason games do break up the monotony of camp, this will be a mental and physical test for everybody.”

And there’s benefit in that, as Rhule sees it. Where they’ve been talking through internet connections, and around rules since March, everyone’s about to get to know the guy next to him really well over the coming weeks.

“Life happens through interactions. It happens by being around each other. A lot of that happens on the practice field,” he continued. “To me, we’ve got a couple really hard weeks ahead where we have to grind. But I do think we’ve made the most of a difficult situation, we’ve spent a lot of time talking about things that are important. One of the great things about our staff is we’re very relatable staff in that we’re talking to guys one-on-one all the time. To me, that’s how you build something.”

There’ll be less time to get hard answers on players. And that’s what Rhule emphasized above when he cited the challenge in sorting out roles and decisions on the roster. How do you make up for it? As the coach sees it, you have the players compete—over and over again. Even the hot dog eating competition had a winner and loser, and those sorts of situations are what Rhule pointed to when I asked him what he’s most looking forward to.

“Competition,” he said. “I love one-on-ones, I love seven-on-sevens, I love competition. To me, I love practice. I don’t love those long, drudgery, grinding practices, but I do love competitive practices. So just watching guys who’ve been blessed with talent go out there and compete against each other, and raise their standard of play, is something I love. I love to be a part of that, so knowing that’s right around the corner, to me, is really, really cool.”

***

Now, finding normalcy, as Rhule can tell you, isn’t the same as things being normal. This summer hasn’t been, and won’t be, and the reminders of that are pretty constant.

“The first time on the field, I went to explain the first walkthrough, where I wanted guys to go,” Rhule recalled. “And the guys walked up, and they’re in a circle around me, but socially distanced, and I’ve got a mask on and a Janet Jackson mic over the top of the mask, and I’m trying to talk. It was really hard to communicate when people can’t see your face. It was to the point where I had to laugh and make fun of myself wearing the mask, and then we moved on.

“I would say that initial communication was probably the one time I was like, Wow, this is a little different.”

So maybe that isn’t why Carolina owner David Tepper went to the lengths he did to pry Rhule from the college game, and convince him not to interview with his hometown Giants in January. But Rhule’s ability to adjust and problem-solve is.

For the last six months, he’s shown that in spades. But everyone gets that this is just the start, and bumps are coming—especially the guys who were in Philly for 2-10 in 2013, and in Waco for 1-11 in 2017. The key, Rhule said, is he and his coaches continue to be “real honest” about where they are, both to themselves, and the players. And remember that if this all plays out as they plan for it to, down the line, these will become the good old days.

“When we went to the [AAC] championship game, and won the championship game at Temple, I would always tell our coaches, just remember we did our best coaching in the first year,” Rhule said. “And all the players that won a championship, they went through that first year. And then we went to Baylor, we were going through a tough first year, and I’d always tell our guys, Remember guys, we always talked about the first year at Temple, we never talked about the championship year—do your best coaching now.

“And so that’s the approach I’ve tried to take. The ethos of the Carolina Panthers will be built now. This is an opportunity for us to completely define who we are and how we do things. … So my challenge to our coaches is, This is really challenging, make this your best coaching job. Look, we always look back, we always romanticize and talk about the early days and it was hard and we were finding a way to get it done.”

Rhule then said, with purpose, “Right now, it’s hard. Let’s find a way to get it done.”

And if that means wearing masks during a hot dog eating contest, so be it.

***

After flinging aside QB after QB, Bosa will rake in more cash than any defensive player in history.

A MILESTONE FOR THE BOSA FAMILY

If Joey Bosa dreamed of a life-changing football contract back in the South Florida youth leagues, it’s fair to assume he didn’t see it going down like this.

But there he was, parked outside the Irvine Marriott, doing everything short of putting on the old Groucho glasses to keep anyone from realizing he was on the property. The orders to do so came from his agent, Brian Ayrault, thanks to the reporting deadline coming on the afternoon of July 28.

“I was off to the side where nobody could really see me, sweating and shaking, all sorts of nerves going through me,” Bosa said the other day. “I called a few teammates and I was like, ‘Don’t tell anybody, I’m just making sure, it’s still at the same hotel, right?’ So I was out there parked outside of the Marriott—you take a left to go in, I took a right and parked by some offices in some illegal spot. Luckily no one was there. But I was sitting there until literally two, three minutes before the reporting time ended.”

Then, Ayrualt called, “Head in, go take your [COVID] test, don’t say s---.”

By then, Bosa had the details—and if you watch the video that the Chargers posted on social media of him arriving at the facility, you can almost see through his mask that he’d just become the most well-compensated defensive player in NFL history. But soon thereafter, that grin Bosa was trying and failing to hide gave way to tears.

It’s not hard to figure out why. Few athletes have faced the level of expectation Bosa and his younger brother Nick have. Their dad, John, was the Dolphins’ first-round pick in 1987. Their mom’s brother, Eric Kumerow, was the Miami’s first-round pick in 1988. The brothers, three years apart in school, grew up close enough to the Dolphins’ practice facility to ride bikes there.

So from the time they took their first snaps—even with a dad who never coached them, and always tried to blend in like any other parent could—much was expected. And Joey reaching the contractual milestones he did, in many ways, signifies the last set of expectations met. Just as he delivered at blue-blood prep (St. Thomas Aquinas) and college (Ohio State) programs, the money shows he’s been all he was expected to be as a pro.

“There’s been a lot of haters along the way,” Bosa said. “A lot of doubters. But there’s also been a lot of people that have really believed in me. And to live up to and beyond those expectations for a lot of people, it means a lot. And I’m seeing it. I’m getting hundreds of texts from all these people that maybe I haven’t heard from in a while, but I couldn’t have been where I am today without. All these pieces to the puzzle that put it together.

“I internalize a lot of the stress. I’m a pretty stressed out guy because I put so much pressure on myself to perform. At the end of the day, I think I have higher expectations than anybody else has for me. It’s easy to live up to other people’s expectations when your own expectations are beyond theirs. Well, not easy, but you know what I mean …”

As you’d expected, Bosa’s first call was to his dad, and he rushed out of the team facility after taking that COVID test to place it—"I’m not sure it was a very family-friendly talk there, but pretty much a lot of screaming and yelling, and crying, a lot of crying.” And John did think back to the nine-year-old kid putting on football pads for the first time, and all the trips to games at St. Thomas Aquinas, Ohio State and in San Diego and L.A.

But most of all, the father thought of how proud he was that his son found his passion, followed it and became one of the best in the world at it.

“It’s just an unbelievable sense of pride,” John said. “Not too many dads have two NFL superstars as sons, you can probably count the families on one hand. So it’s such a blessing, to have two boys like that. And Joe, for him to achieve this, and for the Chargers to handle it like they did, the Spanoses, Tom Telesco, for that to happen, and to know he can be an all-time leader for them and have a chance to bring them to a Super Bowl, that’s cool.

“Then, to know that my little boy is about to this sign monster deal, that’s very hard to comprehend. It’s easy to talk about the numbers, any 25-year-old would have a hard time comprehending it. I’m 56, I’m having hard time comprehending it. It’s an amazing contract and what it means for generations of the Joey Bosa family, knowing that it’s my Joey that achieved that, that he made it to that point, there’s overwhelming pride.”

John Bosa remembered, too, how his kids would wake up for 6 a.m. for winter workouts as high schoolers, and he’d be up at 5 to cook them breakfast, never once having to prod or push them out the door—a pretty good sign they loved football independent of what their dad once did for a living. “I never pushed them,” he said. “They got bit by the football bug. I never remember, not one time, from the youth ranks through high school, ever asking twice about them going to a workout or a practice, they never complained.”

Because, as Joey will tell you, they loved it from the start.

And that also colors where John’s older son plans to take things from here. He mentioned maybe buying a boat, but said he plans the money to be, for the most part, “sitting around in a bank.” He also conceded that there is a heightened sense of responsibility, and that he may need to make his lead-by-example style, a “little more vocal.”

Mostly, though, Bosa’s belief is this should simplify everything. He’s signed through 2025 and, in his words, “Now, I never have to worry about money again.” Everything, again, becomes about football—where he’s never needed anyone to set the bar for him

“Getting 100 sacks would be a pretty cool goal,” Bosa said. “I think that’s a reachable expectation. I’m not really one to set a lot of concrete goals with numbers, I take it day-by-day, and I know if I do what I have to do every day, things are gonna play out how I want them to. But it’s really about winning a Super Bowl.”

And evidently, the Chargers think he can be an awfully big piece in getting them there.

***

GREGORY ROUSSEAU’S OPT-OUT DECISION

We covered the first three guys who opted out of the 2020 college football season—Virginia Tech CB Caleb Farley, Minnesota WR Rashod Bateman and Penn State LB Micah Parsons—last week in the MMQB and GamePlan. Since then, with the whole college football season hanging in the balance anyway, we’ve gotten two more.

The big one was Miami DE Gregory Rousseau, an edge-rushing prospect who’s not what Chase Young was going into last fall but isn’t that far off. Which is to say he’s got a good shot to go in the top five picks, and that’s even knowing he won’t play a snap of real football during the 2020 calendar year.

Obviously, that was part of Rousseau’s decision. But there’s another piece to this, too, one that is, I believe, indicative of how deeply personal these calls are.

Rousseau says that back in March and April, as the pandemic took shape, the idea of leaving his Hurricane teammates wasn’t really on his radar. That changed as things worsened around him—and his view of COVID-19 intensified. His mother is an ICU nurse at the Florida Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale, and as spring turned to summer, South Florida emerged as one of the country’s coronavirus hotspots.

“So just seeing her go through it, and seeing what’s going on, made me really think about it,” Rousseau said. “I went over it with my family and weighed out the pros and cons, I realized I had an opportunity to help them, obviously I can get money from endorsements and stuff like that. And I wanted to give a little of myself if I had the opportunity to help out my family.”

His father, a mechanic, worked through the spike in the area too, and amidst all of that, one of Rousseau’s best friends contracted the virus. "He got pretty sick. He’s OK now, but his lungs, he said they’re not the same.”

All of that dealt Rousseau with a new reality, tipping the risk/reward scale toward the idea of leaving school to focus on the draft. And at that point, the hardest part was figuring out how to tell his teammates.

He and the other starters on the Miami defensive line lived close to one another, and they convened at a friend’s house for Rousseau to deliver the news. "They were sad, but they said, We understand, we feel you bro.” After that, the rising redshirt sophomore told a few other teammates before going to head coach Manny Diaz, who was very involved in Rousseau’s recruitment.

“We talked about it multiple times and I finally told him [Thursday], and he said, ‘Yeah, man, just go be great. Work hard, don’t settle, don’t change who you are,’” Rousseau said. “It was the best talk you could ask for, I’m so grateful he responded like that, and didn’t try to guilt trip me or anything.”

Rousseau added that, in taking part in all of Miami’s on-campus workouts until last week, he didn’t feel at risk. “This was more to help my family. Coach Diaz and the staff are doing a really good job of protecting the players at UM. I’m not sure how it’ll be when football starts, but they are doing the best job they can to keep everybody safe.”

And that was reflected in how the news got out. It actually came on Diaz’s pre-fall camp conference call with the media. The coach simply asked Rousseau beforehand, Hey, should I just announce it? Rousseau responded, Yeah, go ahead. And so it was done.

Now, it’s not like Rousseau won’t face questions. The obvious ones are there. He took a medical redshirt his freshman year after appearing in just three games, which means he has an injury history, and he’ll have only played in 16 games (the equivalent of one NFL season) between his senior year at Champagnat Catholic (enrollment from Grades 6-12: 213) and his rookie year in the NFL.

That said, he’s pretty confident in who he is as a player, after a 15.5-sack year as a redshirt freshman and, at 6' 7" and 254 pounds, there’s a lot of untapped potential there to mine.

“I’d say I’m definitely a blue-collar guy who’s really hard-working,” Rousseau said. “And I’d also say I’m very versatile, I can play in the 3-4 and drop back into coverage, I play a 9-tech, a 5-tech, 3-tech, 0-tech, I can play end on the D-line or I can stand up. I feel like I’m really versatile, I can do whatever a team needs me to do.”

Of course, it’ll be a while before he can prove it. For the time being, he’ll be working out at Bommarito’s, a well-known combine prep center, in Aventura, Fla. He’ll do the usual strength-and-conditioning work, and NFL combine prep, and mix in as much game-speed football work as he can (he wants to work on his get-off and hand placement, specifically) to try and stay sharp.

He knows, too, that nothing will replace the game action he’ll miss. But clearly, personally for him, there were bigger things at work here.

***

And while we’re here, some quick scouting reports on the three opt-outs (Rousseau, Pitt DT Jaylen Twyman and Purdue WR Rondale Moore) we didn’t cover in last week’s columns.

An NFC exec on Rousseau: “He’s polarizing right now. Some don’t see it with him, there are differing opinions. He’s only played one year, but it’s impressive in that first year to have 15.5 sacks. You’re going basically off 500 or so snaps. He’s a former high school receiver, he did play defense there too, so he’s pretty raw still. As a redshirt freshman, you saw a ton of upside. He’s a big, long dude, a good athlete who can drop his weight, and turn the corner. He has good ability to finish. He can close with some athleticism, and he has a pretty good feel for where the quarterback is, and how to get on him. He’s only gonna get better. His lower body strength, and overall strength, and power and physicality, all those things would be the question. If he proves himself there, he’ll be a really high pick. … And he’s supposed to be a real good kid. When you have so little info on a kid, because he hasn’t played much, that’s a real positive. If you’re taking a chance, you want it to be on a kid like that.”

A second NFC exec on Moore: “Super dynamic. He’s not as fast as Tyreek [Hill], but he’s just as dynamic, and really tough, really instinctive, too. He’s just a good football player. I don’t know if he’ll test well enough to go top 10, but the league is looking for guys like him. … It’s really the idea of him as a concept. He’s versatile, even though he really only plays out of the slot, because they move him around, and give him the ball in a lot of different ways. … The questions are his size, and I’m sure how fast he is, as far as timed speed. He might not be a 4.2 or 4.3 guy, I’d say he’s probably in the high 4.4s. But I still think he’s a first-rounder. … Call him Tyreek Lite.”

An AFC area scout on Twyman: “He’s an average athlete. Not dynamic. He was productive in 2019, but those stats were inflated and not reflective of the caliber of player he is, and he needs to improve his skill set against the run. I think he’s a third- or fourth- round type.”

***

CHIEFS, TEXANS INCH CLOSER TO REAL FOOTBALL

I’m not sure anyone realized it, but the first full-squad NFL practices of the 2020 season took place on Sunday in Kansas City and Houston. And while it wasn’t exactly a reenactment of Braveheart out there, helmets were worn, plays were run, and another step was taken.

“It felt like a little bit of an in-between type of practice,” said Texans tight end Darren Fells, now 34 and an eight-year NFL vet. “It was like a Phase II practice. But it was good to be out on the field, doing actual football stuff.”

“Honestly, it feels like OTAs, just with the days being a little longer,” said Chiefs tackle Mitch Schwartz, 31 and heading into his ninth year. “Based on what we’re allowed to do, it’s like it is April through June. You’re used to training camp being where you show up, take your physical, take the conditioning test, start practice, and we’d be right into pads already. Now, it’s been two weeks, and we’re still not in pads.”

Indeed, the Texans’ and Chiefs’ practices didn’t even allow the offenses to line up against the defenses—Schwartz described K.C.’s session with offensive backups standing in as defensive players and going off cards just to give the starters a cursory look. “I don’t wanna call it a walkthrough, but it was sort of a faster-paced walkthrough.”

The teams will have another day like that Monday. On Tuesday, they can put shells on and have competitive drills, and after a day off and another day like that, live contact for the teams start Friday. That first day of pads, by the way, is separated from the opener by just 27 days.

The other 30 teams are three days behind these two on the calendar—they’ll start with their “Phase II” work on Wednesday, and put the pads on Monday, Aug. 17.

“I personally love it,” said Fells. “As a vet, the biggest thing, in reality, is that injuries happen in camp. You’re beating up on each other. So instead of that, we’re working on the mental part of the game, we’re working on technique. I think it’s been very helpful. I don’t know how the games are going to be, but having this level of freshness physically is good.”

That said, Fells and Schwartz both agreed that, for young players, this circumstance steepens the hill they need to climb to win jobs and then roles for the fall.

Schwartz raised the example of Andrew Wylie. An undrafted free agent, Wylie spent 2017 bouncing from the Colts to the Browns to the Chargers and, finally, to the Chiefs, earning a spot on K.C.’s 2018 camp roster in the process. He came into that summer running with the 3s. But a strong preseason game vaulted him to the second string. And Wylie wound up starting 10 games that fall after Laurent Duvernay-Tardif got hurt.

“This is a tough one for young players, because you see players every year go up and down the depth chart based on camp and preseason games,” Schwartz said. “The element of showing the coach that he can trust you in a high-leverage situation is huge. You see guys who are awesome in practice and can’t translate it, and vice versa, and it’s going to be hard to make determinations on those guys in general.”

“One-hundred percent,” Fells said. “They missed a lot—OTAs, the mental aspect of the spring, getting to see the defense in front of you. The offense vs. defense piece is huge, because that’s where you see the speed of football at this level. It’ll be tough for them.”

The flip side—guys with knowhow and experience have an edge.

And it’s one both the Texans and Chiefs should carry based on how their rosters are made up. In fact, Fells pointed out not just the guys coming back off the 2019 Texans, but also how the brass emphasized acquiring a certain type of more experienced, more professional player this offseason. That wasn’t specific to the pandemic, but, as Fells sees it, it sure won’t hurt the group under these circumstances.

“Having vets on this team playing back in the same offense is huge,” he said. “We don’t have a ton of teaching to do. And the guys they did bring in, we have a lot of confidence in as teammates, they’re very professional. … You can just tell everyone’s focused, guys like [Brandin] Cooks and [Randall] Cobb know how to conduct themselves in meetings, know when to speak up, they aren’t making mistakes. That should be huge in a year like this.”

Which, as we’ve said a million times in this space the last few months, will be a year like no other—something evidenced again Sunday on those fields in Missouri and Texas.

***

TEN TAKEAWAYS

The NFL has to be happy with its testing results thus far. Obviously, the league would like to have zero opt-outs, and zero positive tests. But nearly two weeks into camp, with players now into the ramp-up period, this qualifies as positive news: Through nearly two weeks, the NFL has placed 105 guys on COVID-19 IR (and not all of those are positive tests, some are a result of contact tracing), and just 67 guys opted-out. If you take into account that around 2,700 players reported to training camp, less than 4% of the league has had to go on the COVID list, and less than 3% opted out. Also, 74 of the 105 who have gone on COVID-IR have come back already, and just 36 of the 67 opt-outs were under the voluntary category, meaning nearly half who opted out did it with a very specific medical reason. This reflects a couple things for me. One, I do think it shows that the raw number of guys wasn’t as high as some might’ve feared—the league was bracing for a large number of positives in the initial round of testing (for players to gain entry to facilities), and that didn’t happen. Two, I think it does show that players who want to play, and players who feel like they need to play (who might worry a job won’t be there for them when they come back) comprise a huge percentage of the league. And that’s one reason why the union’s goals aligned pretty seamlessly with the league’s during their negotiations—the focus for most was on getting a season started and finished, which required putting a premium on health and safety. Overall, if you’re an NFL fan, you should feel encouraged right now.

I think some positives arose from the Matthew Stafford situation last week. One, a team stood up for a star player and the league’s reaction wasn’t immediately to slap that team on the wrist. The Lions were aggressive in helping Stafford in this case. His false positive–after he tested negative on July 28 and 29—came on July 31. Later that day, the team got him tested again, which was the first of four negative tests he turned around before being reinstated on Aug. 4. And then, they went forward in saying, in a statement, that the positive was, in fact, a false positive. So good on Detroit for all that. And good on the league for seeing that, in a certain way, it was lucky to have a situation like this arise now. It perfectly crystallized the fear of a lot of NFL coaches, that a poorly-time false positive could sideline a starting quarterback for a game. (If the Lions were playing last Sunday, that would’ve been the case.) The league acted by updating its protocols to allow players who persistently test negative before and after a positive to be reinstated. So what happened with Stafford? It’s possible it was just a faulty test. I’m told one other scenario was that he already had COVID-19, and there were traces in his system detected, even though the virus is now gone. Either way, this situation created a pathway for players in Stafford’s situation not to miss games, which is a good thing.

Overall, people need to listen to character flags on players coming out of college. You may remember Derrius Guice’s mysterious draft-weekend fall a couple years ago. There was a ton of negative noise surrounding the ex-LSU star that April, and it was enough to scare some teams away. You may also recall why DeAndre Baker slid a little last year, with questions about his discipline and how he’d fit into a professional environment. I know people like to poke fun at the pre-draft process, but this is why teams basically have their area scouts doubling as private investigators on the ground (it’s often as important for them to have connections with local law enforcement as it to be close to the local offensive line coach), and have actual private investigators on retainer. I wrote a story on this years ago, in the aftermath of Aaron Hernandez’s arrest, and I still remember how then-Rams coach Jeff Fisher explained that the job is only beginning with the pre-draft vetting. “I've often said that when I first started as a head coach, 80% of your time, or thereabouts, was X's and O's,” Fisher said. "And now there are days and periods of time where that's flipped, where 80% of your time winds up being those other things, because my responsibility, in addition to a lot of other things, my ultimate responsibility is to make sure that the players are physically, mentally and emotionally right when they either step on the practice field or play on Sunday.” The fact is, teams wouldn’t pour the resources they do into turning over rocks on prospects if the off-field stuff didn’t matter. Guice and Baker show it does.

Guice, who averaged 5.8 yards on 42 carries, was unclaimed on waivers after Washington released him following his domestic violence arrest.

And credit to Washington for moving on from Guice as swiftly as it did. I’m not totally sure that it’s fair that Ron Rivera’s had to be the front man for so many different off-the-field things for the Washington Football Team this offseason (the nickname change, a sexual harassment scandal, now this), but I’ll say this—for a franchise that’s long had a history of internal back-stabbing, and one guy climbing over the next to get to the top of the flowchart, there is zero debate over who’s in charge now. This, in many ways, is how New England empowered Bill Belichick at the start of his tenure, and it’s the “one voice” way that a lot of coaches believe in. There’ll be very little question in that locker room who everyone is answering too. (And yes, it was a little awkward to see Rueben Foster, given his history, activated into a roster spot vacated by Guice. But Foster has been fine since arriving in D.C., so it’d hardly be fair to penalize him for someone else’s transgressions.)

Cam Newton hit all the right notes in his availability with the New England media. And he even stayed in character with the grandma-chic look. I took this quote, in particular, as a good sign of where he is, especially in how he referenced his end in Carolina, and the tepid market he faced in the spring: “It’s a breath of fresh air to be honest with you and a challenge I have to accept each and every day. But no challenge is ever going to be greater than a personal challenge that I challenge myself. Yeah, we all know what that was and what it was needs no mention. But at the same time for me, I think I have my hands full trying to learn as much in a short period of time. That’s what I’m trying to do—meeting with coaches day-to-day and getting assistance from Hoyster and Stiddy.” In one fell swoop there, Newton showed a lack of entitlement, an ability to compartmentalize what was an uncomfortable few months, and respect for new teammates who are in a competitive situation with him. Here’s the other thing—I’m not sure people understand how Newton’s teammates in Carolina loved him as a person. He never cared to fix public perception on that, but it’s true. And it’s also notable that he was a captain on a very tight-knit 2015 team that made it to the Super Bowl. So I think Newton will fit in New England better than some think.

Maybe I’m alone, but I think pushing Sunday games to Saturday would be a mistake. And I know that sounds nuts coming from someone who loves football—and I can’t wait to have football on my TV again. But I firmly believe that one of football’s great advantages as a televised sport is its scarcity. The NFL doesn’t ask of a fan what other sports do. Pro football is on three days a week, and the fact that it doesn’t require its audience to be locked in on a nightly basis allows each broadcast window to feel like an event. If you’re moving games to Saturday? Now we’re talking about something else. Let’s say the NFL, in the absence of college football, put tripleheaders on Saturdays. You’d have, very naturally, some real dogs as stand-alone games in those windows. On weekends with six teams having byes, you’d have seven games total in the four FOX/CBS windows at 1:00 and 4:25 p.m. ET. On weekends that four teams have a bye, you’d have eight games in those windows. So, to me, what I see here would be more bad games on national TV, and a destruction of the beautiful chaos that is the two Sunday afternoon slots (it’d also be tough for my buddies Andrew Siciliano and Scott Hanson on the RedZone channels). Would it drive me away? Of course not. I do this for a living and I’d be watching even if I didn’t. But looking at the casual fan (which is what the NFL is after), you’d be asking for that person to spend two full days on the couch watching a watered-down product. Which seems like one of those ideas that looks a lot better on a whiteboard than it does in practice.

I’m encouraged seeing the XFL bought by RedBird Capital and The Rock. The former has deep NFL ties. The latter was a football player before he became a pro-wrestler-turned-actor. And I think the two combined can bring a handle on the macro “football as a business” element of restarting the league, and micro “how we can serve players trying to make it” part of all this as well. The fact is, the NFL really could use a developmental league, and both the AAF and the latest iteration of the XFL showed that, even as they failed when it came to the bottom line. The challenge with constructing a viable minor league in football, given the cost in staging the sport and the structure of it in general, is always going to be finding a way to turn a profit. But this group, at the very least, should give the XFL a fighting chance.

This is why Calais Campbell is who he is: “The first thing you do when you come to a new team is you want to just show people your work ethic and how hard you're willing to grind, try to earn their respect. So I've spent the last couple weeks, and really the offseason program that we had virtually, just trying to earn my teammates’ respect." Remember, this is a guy who’s played a dozen NFL seasons, turns 34 on Sept. 1, and has made five Pro Bowls. And he is the one trying to win the respect of those around him. The Ravens got themselves the right kind of guy, like they usually do. Also, it’s interesting how Baltimore has stocked its defense with a number of third-contract guys—Campbell is joined in that category by Derek Wolfe, Earl Thomas and Pernell McPhee. That, of course, says something about what John Harbaugh and GM Eric DeCosta value.

Good to see the officials taken care of. The NFLRA got its group (of which a decent number is older in age) a pretty good set of options, amid the issues created by the pandemic. Game and replay officials can voluntarily take a leave of absence, no questions asked, with a stipend of $30,000 and a guarantee that their job will be waiting for them in 2021. Also, if an official tests positive for COVID-19 during the season, it will be treated as if that official sustained it on the field—making the official eligible for injury pay with his medical expenses covered. Obviously, there’ll be risk for the officials the next few months. This is a nice acknowledgement of that.

I’m fascinated by the Buccaneers. I’d like to think I knew I would be. But there’s such an interesting group (Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Rob Gronkowski, et al.) around Tom Brady, and then there’s the dynamic between Brady, Bruce Arians, OC Byron Leftwich and QB coach Clyde Christensen, and how Brady himself looks at 43, and this is all gonna be really, really intriguing. I know I’m not breaking new ground here. But that’s one team I’ll look forward to seeing in August, even in just a practice setting.

***

SIX FROM THE SIDELINE

1) The idea that college football isn’t happening in the fall is pretty devastating. My first thought is that I wish we’d had our crap together as a country in the spring. Maybe this wouldn’t have happened if we had. My second thought is this is also thanks to the failure of the conference commissioners to work tougher earlier on solutions. I sensed a lot of anger toward those guys—and the NCAA—from the college coaches I communicated with Sunday night. And rightfully so. The buck was passed to the schools to come up with their own protocols months ago, and a pretty fair amount did a really good job with those, only to see this outcome. I’d be frustrated, too.

2) I think the fallout from this will be massive but not in the way a lot of people think. Football and men’s basketball will survive this. If I was a scholarship athlete in a sport other than those two at a major conference school, I’d be very, very nervous right now. It’s not crazy to think there might be athletic departments in the future that have football, men’s hoops, enough women’s sports to satisfy Title IX and that’s it.

3) I didn’t get to watch a ton of the PGA Championship on Sunday—I’ve been chipping away at this column all weekend—but I will say that these events being the West Coast is always awesome, because we get them coming down the stretch in primetime.

4) Playoff hockey still rules. Even in a bubble. Even in August.

5) The baseball season, on the other hand, has been an abject joke. Just a total mess.

6) Happy fourth birthday to my stud of a middle child Drew! (I’ll make sure he sees this on Monday morning, even if he probably won’t care much.)

***

BEST OF THE NFL INTERNET

I know this isn’t an NFL tweet. But Lawrence will be in the NFL soon. And I think it’s notable that the player in college football who needs the season least is one who spoke up and took a stand. I think it also underscores what a lot of people forget when looking at the sport like an econ graduate would see an accounting job—most of the guys playing it really love it, and don’t want it taken away.

And if the No. 1 pick in the 2021 draft saying it wasn’t enough, here’s the leader to be the No. 2 pick chiming in, too.

Nine years after he retired, Mike Vrabel still looks like he could suit up.

Words to live by. And it recalls an old saying from the great Woody Hayes: “Anything that comes easy ain’t worth a damn.”

Fair.

It’s still strange—all these shots.

Also strange that this was supposed to be Hall of Fame weekend.

Furrey’s one of those guys who did some really crazy stuff over a short period of time that history will probably forget. His career was unique.

How did the Browns ever go away from these spectacular uniforms?

These mouth shields got shaky reviews in college football, after the guys at that level gave them a test drive. We’ll find out soon if NFL guys feel any differently.

***

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

We’ve got a big week ahead in the sport. College football faces a critical couple days. And NFL guys will put pads on for the first time, post-COVID. We’ll have you covered on both counts at SI—and be sure to follow the work Pat Forde and Ross Dellenger are doing on the college side. They’ve killed it through this mess.

As for the pros, we’ll see you guys later today for the MAQB.

• Question or comment? Email us.

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[cryptonewsupdates]

Ripple [XRP], Cardano [ADA], IOTA [MIOTA] - Sleeping with the fishes? - Sentiment Analysis - April 6

Almost all the major coins hit a double bottom in the last month and all the tokens are struggling to wake up from their deep slumber. The cryptocurrencies have not yet gotten out of the reddish zone and the bearish market still goes on. The investors all around the world have become desperate and are hoping for a relief. The market’s total capital has come down to $248.260 billion which is a matter that is perturbing the cryptocurrency enthusiasts all around the world. Most of the top coins currently show no significant price movements as of now.

The aim and objective of our sentiment analysis is to bring to you worldwide sentiments about the market trends from every nook and corner of the world. This is done by interviewing a group of investors, miners, journalists, skeptics, and influencers and including their valuable opinions here in this segment. Today’s analysis is on three of the biggest names in the cryptocurrency world which are in the top 15 list and are: Ripple [XRP], Cardano [ADA] and IOTA [MIOTA].

Ripple [XRP]

Ripple, at 2:20 PM UTC, was trading at a price of $0.471 with a market capital of $18.421 billion. It has incurred a loss of 4.00% in its price in the last 24 hours. Since April 4th this year, when it peaked at $0.561, the bears have pulled down the coin hard and the investors are hoping for a reversal. Even though the cryptocurrency manages to hold the $0.47 support against the US dollars, the market for the coin still looks bearish. The recovery level for the coin is $0.50 which has not been reached by the coin after it fell from that level.

Derrick Walberg, an altcoin reporter from Adelaide says:

“Sadly for Ripple, the bearish market continues. There is a selling pressure on Ripple right now and the analysts say that it can explode at any moment.”

Ouyang Zhao, an altcoin investor from Hong Kong says:

“A massive sell continuation pattern has been created along with a 12 hour death cross formation. XRP tried to break through a few days ago, but the bulls failed to keep it over and above and thus it failed to change its trend so far. XRP seems to be a crashing coin trapped inside a crashing market.”

To conclude, 64% of Ripple respondents feel that the coin will fall because of the death cross formation and it will go down to the lowest levels. While another 36% of Ripple respondents feel that once the coin gets listed in the major exchanges like Coinbase, the chances for XRP’s bull run are high.

Cardano [ADA]

Cardano, the 7th most popular coin, at 3:05 PM UTC, was trading at $0.144 with a market capital of $3.748 billion. The coin has been showing redundant patterns for one week with no major changes with regards to both hikes and dips in the prices. The prices have failed to move higher with a support at $0.14 against the US dollars. There is a short-term bearish trend line which has been formed near the resistance level.

Mel Anderson, an altcoin miner from Perth says:

“There was an expected bullish trend for ADA but it seems like the bulls did not take it. It was a bull trap and we all fell for it. The support at $0.14 might soon be broken and the coin will fall down further. The bears might take it far down that it might even hit the rock bottom. From there a reversal can be expected. Till then we have to wait.”

Angela Nelson, a cryptocurrency expert from Nashville says:

“ADA broke a few important support levels such as $0.1600 and $0.1500 and during the slide it even broke the $0.1450 support and even settled below the 100 hourly simple moving average. These all are negative signs and points more declines below $0.1500.”

To conclude 55% of the ADA respondents have realised the bull trap and are now relying on the coins present support levels. Another 45% of the ADA respondents feel bullish about the coin’s potential and that it will be back on track soon.

IOTA [MIOTA]

The coin is plummeting down further as at 3:36 PM UTC. The coin trades at $0.935 with a market capital of $2.600 billion. The cryptocurrency is ranked at number 11 but the present status looks reddish for the coin. It has experienced a dip of 3.29% and it has broken the major support level which was at $1. It went to an intra-day low $0.930 around 5 hours ago and clearly, it has not been able to get back to the green zone.

James Connolly, a blockchain correspondent from Virginia says:

“The coin has to stay above the $1 mark to bounce back. Now it seems like it is highly unlikely. But we can’t run into a conclusions soon because we have seen such patterns before and big time reversals coming out of the blue. The token is presently under a selling pressure.”

Fredrick Dickinson, an investor from Portsmouth says:

“I’m going to sell the coin at $1.45 till then I have no other option but to HODL. This is the first time since I invested that I have had to HODL without any joyous feeling. The profoundness related to the cryptocurrency world is diminishing and god only knows what’s in store for us in future.”

To conclude, 77% of the IOTA respondents did not take the drop of the price below $1 very well and they are really disappointed. Another 33% are hoping that the coin will go back above $1 mark and onto a bullish breakout.

[parintinsnoticias]

For Composer Derrick Spiva, Music is all About Embracing Life

Publicado em https://parintinsnoticias.com/for-composer-derrick-spiva-music-is-all-about-embracing-life/

For Composer Derrick Spiva, Music is all About Embracing Life

Thousands of fans have begun to prepare for Oscars parties to find out which actors, actresses, and movies of the 88th Academy Awards will win a gold statue. As part of the celebration, Shutterstock’s company designers have worked again this year to create fascinating pop art-inspired posters for popular films nominated by the Academy.

Like the many of the different types of movies nominated for the Best Picture award, Shutterstock says its posters share a theme of endurance and testing how far you can stretch the lengths of human nature.

“On the surface his work simply looks cool, but this shallow analysis misses the irony behind his cultural representations”

When you think of many of this year’s Best Picture nominees, movies like The Revenant, The Martian, and Mad Max share a common theme of strength, resilience, determination, and power. These themes are stunningly carried over into Shutterstock’s pop-art posters this year. Posters featured include Jordan Roland’s Warhol-inspired Mad Max: Fury Road, which offer a take on Warhol’s “subversive dictator portraits to shape this poster of Immortan Joe,” says the artist. In Cristin Burton’s Flirst-inspired Oscar Pop 2016 The Revenant, the poster includes assembled pieces the artist used to “create a vast, sinister, and lonely landscape.”

People Happily Await the Begining of the Show

The pop-art posters include a fun view of movies but also of topics that aren’t so fun. In Flo Lau’s The Big Short, inspired by Keith Haring, the artist chose a comedic approach to the dark subject of the bursting of the 2008 housing bubble.

Flirst is a collage artist who assembles disparate pieces to explore how he can change the harmony of the whole. For my poster, a homage to The Revenant, I assembled pieces to create a vast, sinister, and lonely landscape. The poster features a figure with very few people on his side; this represents the film’s main character, Hugh Glass, who was brutally attacked by a bear and left for dead in the winter wilderness.

“I wanted to portray the same witty chaotic vibe in my poster”

In his “Barcelona” series, Mario Corea Aiello forms a grungy collage of newspaper and magazine cutouts and heavy paint strokes. I felt this style would parallel the vicious storm that left Mark Watney for dead on Mars in The Martian. For the color scheme, I deferred to Eric White’s cover art from the original novel by Andy Weir to capture the characteristics of an otherworldly storm.

On Set with the Crew

My inspiration for this poster is one part Roy Lichtenstein and one part Stefan Sagmeister. Spotlight is about journalists uncovering a massive scandal in one of Boston’s oldest institutions, and I found that the perfectly contradictory homophone “pray/prey” encapsulates the shock and horror felt by the community when this scandal was made public.

To illustrate this, I pixelated an image of a priest, then tore off his head and replaced it with an image of a wolf. I looked to Warhol’s subversive dictator portraits to shape this poster of Immortan Joe.Warhol had a remarkable ability to distract from the meaning of his art. On the surface his work simply looks “cool”.

Mad Max: Fury Road has the same effect: The stylized nature of the film gets more attention than the meaning behind it.

I chose to feature Immortan Joe because he is a terrible person, but his iconic look makes him instantly recognizable. When I first read the plot summary for Room, I envisioned lonely, sterile characters, who had been institutionalized by their secluded environment.

Of course, when I saw the movie that perception quickly changed; the characters are full of life, love, and joy, and the audience instantly empathizes with them on a raw, human level. KAWS’ statues play on a similar deceit. Initially they have a sterile, robotic feel, but when you view them in their human-scale sizes and see their playful aesthetic, you experience an unexpected sense of connection.

“Welcome to the Oscars, Or as some people like to call it, the white people’s choice awards”

The Big Short takes a comedic approach to a dark subject, and I wanted to portray the same witty, chaotic vibe in my poster. Keith Haring was my inspiration because his high-contrast, brightly colored political work, which touches on grim subjects like rape, death, and war, hinges on the same contrast as the film. The poster is based on the film’s alligator-in-an-abandoned-pool scene; the alligator represents the main characters in the movie, who took advantage of the 2008 housing bubble and left the world in desperation when it burst.

Getting Ready for the Big Night

I chose to focus on the muddy gray areas and loopholes within Bridge of Spies. The Cold War was fueled by each side’s increasingly dire hypotheticals, causing mass paranoia among citizens and governments alike.

A large part of the film’s narrative focuses on the extent of protection under the law, especially for a Soviet spy. I reimagined Lady Justice, mixing her blindfold with the American and Soviet flags to represent how both countries were tied to their individuals’ principles of justice even while locked in an unending battle for the upper hand. Set in the eponymous 1950s borough, Brooklyn features then-contemporary imagery that now exemplifies the commodification of Brooklyn as a global brand.

Just as the Pop Art movement utilized mass advertising and irony to re-contextualize commercial art, I drew from today’s vintage, artisanal design trends, which are inspired by that era and setting.

Telephone Booth Shooting

In that vein, I applied the animated footage and vector elements to illustrate how the contrasting settings of Brooklyn and Ireland re-contextualized the protagonist’s identity through a fluctuating sense of “home.”

The 88th annual Academy Awards are underway, and viewers are anxiously awaiting the ceremony to find out if their favorite flicks and actors win, which categories will see big “upsets,” and which speeches and performances will stand out. Not to mention how host Chris Rock will approach the “Oscars So White” controversy, and who he will target during the opening monologue. Did Leo finally take home a golden statue? The buzz began during the red carpet events prior to the official event.

Jennifer Jason Leigh, nominated for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for The Hateful Eight, seemed slightly out of it during her interview with Ryan Seacrest on E!’s special. But arguably the biggest surprise was Best Actor nominee Leonardo DiCaprio (The Revenant) and Best Actress in a Supporting Role nominee Kate Winslet (Steve Jobs) playing to their nostalgic fans by walking the red carpet together. Can you believe it’s been nearly two decades since they starred together in the 1997 blockbuster film Titanic (which took home Best Picture)?

“If hosts were nominated, I wouldn’t be here; instead, you’d have Neil Patrick Harris.”

Rock, who addressed the issues with ease and expected humor, added that he did seriously consider quitting after so many people spoke out and pressured him to do so. “But the last thing I need is to lose another job to Kevin Hart,” he said, as the crowd erupted in laughter (including Hart himself, who was in the audience).

Arguably, the best part of Rock’s monologue was his blatant dig at Jada Pinkett-Smith and her vocal “boycott” of the Oscars. “Isn’t she on a TV show? Jada boycotting the Oscars is like me boycotting Rihanna’s panties,” he said.

[thesportssoundoff]

A 2 AM Mock Draft

Alex and I did a mock draft! We’re going to try to do a few of these to break up the usual combat sports monotony and shake things up! Alex for those unaware is the soccer and racing guru who pops in here from time to time (the Soundoff was HIS idea, I just maintain the place). He’s in italics with his picks and I’m plain jane. Because of course I am. 

Cincinnati Bengals select QB Joe Burrow, LSU

"and say hello to joe burrow and his heisman. they need a franchise quarterback and he made a ridiculous leap this year in terms of sats and ability. 55 touchdowns and 6 picks will get you the top pick any year."

Washington Redskins select DE Chase Young, Ohio State University If you're drafting top 5, you have a duty and an obligation to draft one of the following four spots; a QB, a DE, an OL or a CB. The Redskins have their QB and so the easiest spot to follow up with is the stud defensive end with Chase Young. He'll combine with the likes of Montez Sweat to give Ron Rivera an immediate pass rushing boost.

Detroit Lions select CB Jeffrey Okudah, Ohio State University "- Hey, hey! I got the Lions. I also get the unfortunate news of declaring that they suck and short of drafting a new GM and organization, they're going to be putrid for years. Darius Slay is a terrific cornerback, but Detroit's secondary couldn't cover a stripper's asscrack. They need an upgrade in the worst way, and they get in when they draft JEFF OKUDAH from Ohio State."

New York Giants select WR Jerry Jeudy, University of Alabama The Giants could certainly use a pass rusher here to cover up their lack of edge help but this needs to be about a young quarterback getting all the weapons possible. Jerry Jeudy is a tremendous big play WR who when put together with a slot ace like Golden Tate, a big TE with Evan Engram and top 5 RB Saquon Barkley creates all of the weaponry possible for a young QB in need of help. The Giants also have a lot of money tied up in their OL which means OT Jedrick Willis isn't a fit here either.

Miami Dolphins select QB Tua #5 - Miami Dolphins "- Lets get interesting now. He's a generational talent, hip injury be damned. In 2019, TUA TAGOVAILOA completed 71 percent of his passes, had almost 3,000 yards and 33 touchdowns to 3 interceptions. He's 6 foot 2 inches tall, has genuine size and presence and is consistently looking downfield. Tua is patient, goes through his progressions, accurate and can make every throw. If he's healthy? He should have been first. Now? He'll sit behind Fitzmagic for a year, heal, learn the system and start for the Dolphins in 2021."

San Diego Chargers select QB Justin Herbert, University of Oregon There's a mountain of DL and OL help available for the Chargers but you're picking 6th overall. You don't finish top 10 with QB play and Rivers is clearly on the back nine of his career. Is Herbert perfect? Far from it. That said you're moving into a new stadium, you're in a division where your two main competitors are embracing young fresh QBs and you have the weapons on offense and defense to be able to help a young QB right away. Get to the dance a year early vs a year late and protect your future with Justin Herbert.

Carolina Panthers select DL Derrick Brown, University of Auburn #7 - Carolina Panthers : Derrick Brown, DE, Auburn "- I'm surprised he lasted this long as he had the talent to go Top 5. 6'3 with a great motor and a tons of upside, he could be used as a DT and be a tremendous great interior disruptor if he continues to develop. He has a little bit of Simeon Rice to him and I love him to the Panthers to help shore up that Defensive Line and add some nastiness to their defense beyond their Linebacker core."

Arizona Cardinals select OT Andrew Thomas, University of Georgia There's going to be a ton of interest in one of these awesome WRs but Kyler Murray needs to be kept upright to prosper even more than he has so far. Thomas gives him a buddy cop left tackle who will help him. Protect your investments.

Jacksonville Jaguars select Isaiah Simmons, S/LB, Clemson "- Look, the Linebacking corps is shot with Telvin Smith deciding not to play football and the ghost of Myles Jack's career roaming the sidelines. They need MAJOR help. Simmons is a sideline to sideline defender who hits hard, covers a lot of ground, can play man coverage and cover a running back out of the backfield. Simmons has even matched up with slot receivers this years. His best fit is going to be as a Will linebacker in the NFL, but he's going to be an asset. Think Minkah Fitzpatrick."

Cleveland Browns select OT Jedrick Wills, University of Alabama Cleveland got the QB, the RBs, the star WRs, the pass catching TEs and.....well they forgot the OL. Cam Robinson was a disaster, their interior OL is a mess and despite having a great OL coach, they couldnt protect Mayfield enough to prevent him from seeing metaphorical ghosts. A regime change is going to help but a real change in what the talent level needs to be up front is the biggest hurdle that needs clearing. Jedrick Wills is a blessing at this point in the draft and can play either tackle spot. Again protect your investments.

New York Jets select WR CeeDee Lamb, University of Oklahoma "- Jets need weapons in a bad way and need someone on that team to give him help besides Robbie Anderson. Enter CeeDee Lamb. In a loaded WR class, he is just behind Jerry Jeudy at the top of the heap. He has great hands, is a sharp route runner and is the most polished receiver in the draft class. I'd argue he has better body control than Jeudy, and his RAC ability is elite. The only drawback is his speed. While he is not overly fast though, polished footwork and craftwork allows him to create seperation against DBs."

Oakland Raiders select WR Henry Ruggs, University of Alabama I bet that the Raiders will absolutely positively have conversation about trading up in the draft to grab a QB, using their gamut of picks to play around with getting a Herbert or a Tua. I even considered Jordan Love here or a Javon Kinlaw. In the end, I wonder if the Raiders feel as though no matter who is throwing the ball, they simply can't win on the outside with Tyrell Williams as the lead dog WR. They DID make the move for Antonio Brown which of course backfired. A pure speed stud like Ruggs could open things up for Gruden's offense which already boasts a solid TE and RB combo.

Indianapolis Colts select WR Laviska Shenault, University of Colorado "- Colts have no play-makers beside Hilton and occassionally Mack. Shenault is a stud receiver, who had a down year this year compared to the remarkable 2018 where he brought in 85 receptions on a BAD Colorado team. In short, Shenault made Steven Montez look good. Great speed, physical runner, and has great potential after the catch."

Tampa Bay Buccaneers select FS Grant Delpit, LSU There's a lot of options for Tampa Bay but no perfect fits. Todd Bowles' defense would probably love to have a guy like Delpit who exists to make plays on the ball and basically is your dream free safety or a defensive tackle like a Neville Gallimore or an edge like AJ Epenesa. With all options at their disposal, I think Grant Delpit is cleanest fit. Also of course QB Jordan Love is around too if you want to get nuts.

Denver Broncos select CB Treveon Diggs, University of Alabama "Need a corner to shut down a side of the field. Brings added value as a punt and kick returner. Has excellent speed and athleticism. Broken foot in 2018 that raised some concern, but a solid 2019 saw a return to form."

Atlanta Falcons select DT Javon Kinlaw, University of South Carolina With Grady Jarrett as the star 3-tech for a Seattle Seahawks-y Cover 3 scheme, a 1 technique who can wreak some havoc and take some pressure off of Jarrett, Tak McKinley and a genuinely bad awful secondary would be a big help for Dan Quinn as he fights for his job. Kinlaw is the sort of big bodied with athleticism type of interior presence that Seattle offshoots have needed.

Dallas Cowboys select DE Yetur Gross-Matos,  Penn State University "-Taco Charlton is a bust, Robert Quinn isnt a long-term solution, but Demarcus Lawrence gets a running mate. 40 tackles last year with 9.5 sacks after a breakout Sophmore season where he had 8 sacks and 54 tackles. Strong, physical, gets upfield, burgeoning pass rusher and a great run defender. Cowboys get a good one."

Miami Dolphins select DE AJ Epenesa, University of Iowa If you look at the sort of DEs who succeed in a Brian Flores style system, it's guys like AJ Epenesa. Talking big bodied guys who have enough bend to be versatile edge rushers with the size, strength and toughness to win on the interior if need be. Epenesa would be the ultimate chess piece defensive linemen who would give the Dolphins a serious boost upfront and would add culture, grit and skill to a defensive line currently anchored by Charles Harris and Taco Charlton.

Oakland Raiders: selectJordan Love, QB, Utah State "- Lets get fucking weird. Marijuana suspension aside, the Carr experiment is over. Jordan Love is a guy that Gruden would love, with the intangibles, the arm and the ability to make plays. Gruden fell in love with his skillset doppleganger in Josh Allen and this time around, won't let his guy slip. Gruden gets his QB for better or worse."

Jacksonville Jaguars select OT Tristan Wirfs, University of Iowa Wirfs falling this far feels like a stretch BUT he's here and Jacksonville gets to take him! A rock solid all around tackle prospect who will probably not be the same level athlete as Willis or Thomas, Wirfs is your immediate starter at either tackle spot for Jacksonville that's probably full bore into Minshew Mania next year.

Philadelphia Eagles select WR Justin Jefferson, LSU "Alshon Jeffery cant stay healthy, DeSean Jackson is old and Justin Jefferson has a sure set of hands, size, and height. A new number one is needed, and Wentz (if he stay healthy, which I don't believe he can), gets another target."

Buffalo Bills select WR Tee Higgins, University of Clemson To the credit of the Bills, they've built a nice little offense with a lot of smaller quicker pieces like John Brown, Cole Beasley, Isaiah McKenzie and Devin Singletary. It feels like it's time to add some size to the outside as Josh Allen has a big arm and could probably make some magic with a good jump ball WR. Enter Tee Higgins who is acing things as a big bodied clutch target for Clemson.

Patriots select TE Albert Okwuegbunam, University of Missouri "- They havent had a relevant TE since Gronk retired and need someone able to run block as well as haul them in. Gifted. Nice hands, athletic. Fits that system perfect."

New Orleans Saints select CB Kristian Fulton, LSU Somehow Fulton fell to this spot? Okay then. Marshon Lattimore is a stud but the Saints have been trumpeting out dudes like Eli Apple, PJ Williams and Janoris Jenkins opposite him. Fulton fits the size, build, length and playmaking mold of what the Saints want on the outside and when you combine him and Lattimore? There's shutdown duo potential here.

Tennessee Titans select Jaelen Reagor, WR, TCU "Speed demon, and someone to go along with Brown as an actual threat to take the pressure off of Derrick Henry. Big play threat who can take the top off a defense. Grades out similarly to a Will Fuller or Hollywood Brown."

Minnesota Vikings select CB Paulson Adebo, University of Stanford Trae Waynes may be out of Minnesota and the Vikings secondary has struggled to figure out if Xavier Rhodes is in the midst of a brief slump or a full blown decline. Paulson Adebo is solid DB depth; a long lengthy corner who can play press man or off in zone. He can make plays on the ball too and tackles really well so he fits everything Mike Zimmer is going to want in a DB.

Miami Dolphins select RB Johnathan Taylor, University of Wisconsin "Nox hates this pick, because he hates nice things, but the Dolphins need a running back. Like they're leading rusher this year was Ryan Fitzpatrick. Seriously. I'm not even lying. He lead them with 430 yards. Jonathan Taylor will give them a strong, physical back who can carry 20 times a game, eat some carries, get some yards while giving Tua a soft-spot to land in 2021 alongside Devante Parker. See? Thats thinking long-term."

Seattle Seahawks select CB CJ Henderson, University of Florida It's Seattle. They're going to take DEs and DBs in the first round. CJ Henderson is another Cover 3 corner with length, size and the requisite toughness. A bit has been made of a few subpar tackling efforts but I think that's somewhat overstated. Pete Carroll gets another fit for the secondary.

Kansas City Chiefs select Raekwon Davis, DE, Bama "Dominant inside lineman and wouldn't hurt to shore up that defensive line and add depth to a shaky defensive core that needs to get younger."

Green Bay Packers select CB Bryce Hall, University of Virginia The Packers could maybe use another TE to pair up with Jace Sternberger, they could maybe use another WR who could help take some pressure off of Devante Adams, they could maybe use OL help or another DL but I like the idea of Bryce Hall as a potential Kevin King replacement should he not get re-signed after next season. This is now my third straight DB pick but I feel like there's a lot of superb secondary names in this class.

San Francisco 49ers select OT Trey Adams, Washington "Niners grab an understudy for Joe Staley, start him as a guard then move him outside. Standout LT in the Pac 21, kept both Jake Browning and then Jacob Eason upright. Smooth lineman with length and size. Uses his leverage to sustain block. Quick feet and athletic on the edge. Stays healthy? He's a franchise left tackle."

Baltimore Ravens select LB Kenneth Murray, University of Oklahoma Well II mean I know I forgot this guy existed actually. Murray in Baltimore where he can be a somewhat undersized-ish 3-4 ILB who plays at pretty much the speed of light would be a tremendous selection. Good coaches find ways to use elite players and that;s what Murray is and that's how Murray SHOULD be used.

[iota-news]

Almost all the major coins hit a double bottom in the last month and all the tokens are struggling to wake up from their deep slumber. The cryptocurrencies have not yet gotten out of the reddish zone and the bearish market still goes on. The investors all around the world have become desperate and are hoping for a relief. The market’s total capital has come down to $248.260 billion which is a matter that is perturbing the cryptocurrency enthusiasts all around the world. Most of the top coins currently show no significant price movements as of now.

The aim and objective of our sentiment analysis is to bring to you worldwide sentiments about the market trends from every nook and corner of the world. This is done by interviewing a group of investors, miners, journalists, skeptics, and influencers and including their valuable opinions here in this segment. Today’s analysis is on three of the biggest names in the cryptocurrency world which are in the top 15 list and are: Ripple [XRP], Cardano [ADA] and IOTA [MIOTA].

Ripple [XRP]

Ripple, at 2:20 PM UTC, was trading at a price of $0.471 with a market capital of $18.421 billion. It has incurred a loss of 4.00% in its price in the last 24 hours. Since April 4th this year, when it peaked at $0.561, the bears have pulled down the coin hard and the investors are hoping for a reversal. Even though the cryptocurrency manages to hold the $0.47 support against the US dollars, the market for the coin still looks bearish. The recovery level for the coin is $0.50 which has not been reached by the coin after it fell from that level.

Derrick Walberg, an altcoin reporter from Adelaide says:

“Sadly for Ripple, the bearish market continues. There is a selling pressure on Ripple right now and the analysts say that it can explode at any moment.”

Ouyang Zhao, an altcoin investor from Hong Kong says:

“A massive sell continuation pattern has been created along with a 12 hour death cross formation. XRP tried to break through a few days ago, but the bulls failed to keep it over and above and thus it failed to change its trend so far. XRP seems to be a crashing coin trapped inside a crashing market.”

To conclude, 64% of Ripple respondents feel that the coin will fall because of the death cross formation and it will go down to the lowest levels. While another 36% of Ripple respondents feel that once the coin gets listed in the major exchanges like Coinbase, the chances for XRP’s bull run are high.

Cardano [ADA]

Cardano, the 7th most popular coin, at 3:05 PM UTC, was trading at $0.144 with a market capital of $3.748 billion. The coin has been showing redundant patterns for one week with no major changes with regards to both hikes and dips in the prices. The prices have failed to move higher with a support at $0.14 against the US dollars. There is a short-term bearish trend line which has been formed near the resistance level.

Mel Anderson, an altcoin miner from Perth says:

“There was an expected bullish trend for ADA but it seems like the bulls did not take it. It was a bull trap and we all fell for it. The support at $0.14 might soon be broken and the coin will fall down further. The bears might take it far down that it might even hit the rock bottom. From there a reversal can be expected. Till then we have to wait.”

Angela Nelson, a cryptocurrency expert from Nashville says:

“ADA broke a few important support levels such as $0.1600 and $0.1500 and during the slide it even broke the $0.1450 support and even settled below the 100 hourly simple moving average. These all are negative signs and points more declines below $0.1500.”

To conclude 55% of the ADA respondents have realised the bull trap and are now relying on the coins present support levels. Another 45% of the ADA respondents feel bullish about the coin’s potential and that it will be back on track soon.

IOTA [MIOTA]

The coin is plummeting down further as at 3:36 PM UTC. The coin trades at $0.935 with a market capital of $2.600 billion. The cryptocurrency is ranked at number 11 but the present status looks reddish for the coin. It has experienced a dip of 3.29% and it has broken the major support level which was at $1. It went to an intra-day low $0.930 around 5 hours ago and clearly, it has not been able to get back to the green zone.

James Connolly, a blockchain correspondent from Virginia says:

“The coin has to stay above the $1 mark to bounce back. Now it seems like it is highly unlikely. But we can’t run into a conclusions soon because we have seen such patterns before and big time reversals coming out of the blue. The token is presently under a selling pressure.”

Fredrick Dickinson, an investor from Portsmouth says:

“I’m going to sell the coin at $1.45 till then I have no other option but to HODL. This is the first time since I invested that I have had to HODL without any joyous feeling. The profoundness related to the cryptocurrency world is diminishing and god only knows what’s in store for us in future.”

To conclude, 77% of the IOTA respondents did not take the drop of the price below $1 very well and they are really disappointed. Another 33% are hoping that the coin will go back above $1 mark and onto a bullish breakout.

Ripple [XRP], Cardano [ADA], IOTA [MIOTA] – Sleeping with the fishes? – Sentiment Analysis – April 6 was originally published on https://ambcrypto.com/. The IOTA-News Community curates, examines, and summarizes news from external services while producing its own original material. Copyrights from external sources will be credited as they pertain to their corresponding owners. The purpose is to make use of 3rd party content or pictures as either allusion or promotional endorsement of mentioned sites. If you have a claim of copyright infringement with respect to material, please mail to support[at]iota-news.com. IOTA-News.com is a community run website and is NOT affiliated with the IOTA Foundation in any way.

The post Ripple [XRP], Cardano [ADA], IOTA [MIOTA] – Sleeping with the fishes? – Sentiment Analysis – April 6 appeared first on IOTA News.

via IOTA News

[junker-town]

The 5 saddest NBA title defenses of the last 20 years

Dwyane Wade and Shaq had a lifeless title defense for the Miami Heat.

These are the NBA title defenses that never got off the ground floor.

At the onset of Mike Prada’s incredible and emotionally wrought plan to crown the best team in NBA history that never won a championship, several clubs that fell short of raising a banner were disqualified based on the exercise’s criteria. Specifically, teams coming off their own title run, only to have their defense cut short by inexplicable disappointment, bouts of bad luck, or some combination of both.

So while you peruse Prada’s list of 64 teams over the next two weeks, here’s a look at the five saddest title defenses of the last 20 years. For some teams, sadness emanates from fans who look back wondering what could have been, either thanks to a heartbreaking injury, the rapid and unexpected effect of age on a key player, or even an organization-wide arrogance that seizes everyone who just took a champagne bath.

Insecurities revolve around money and minutes. Pecking orders and hierarchical scoring options are called into question. Sometimes, for reasons that remain a mystery to this day, the team’s championship heart just stops beating, or a rival competitor simply “wants it more.” Who knows.

For the purpose of keeping this as concise as possible, no organization appears twice on this list, and anyone eliminated in the Finals or conference finals didn’t make the cut because losing that far along is less sad than never advancing there in the first place.

5) 2011 Los Angeles Lakers

Regular season record: 57-25

Key losses: Jordan Farmar

Key additions: Matt Barnes, Steve Blake

Everyone remembers how this team went out. Near the end of a blowout, Andrew Bynum was ejected for trying to murder a defenseless, airborne J.J. Barea. Anytime violence occurs on a basketball court it’s shocking; this particular incident felt more like the foreseeable release of a sharp frustration that had been bubbling for weeks.

When they dropped their very first game of the playoffs against Chris Paul’s New Orleans Hornets, Kobe Bryant didn’t mince words: “He’s not naturally aggressive,” Bryant said about Pau Gasol, who made two baskets in the whole game. “Even if I’m tired, I’m naturally aggressive.”

Then, earlier in that series against Dallas, Bynum all but confirmed LA’s locker room drama. “It’s obvious we have trust issues,” he said. “Unless we come out and discuss it, then nothing is going to really change.”

Winning one championship is hard. Winning two in a row — as these Lakers did — is a Rubik’s Cube. Three-peats are a first-class ticket to immortality. But for this particular team, one full of championship experience and Hall of Fame talent, to fall short without any tangible explanation ... it almost diminishes the impressiveness of that entire era.

I remember the end of Game 1 against Dallas, watching Bryant back rim a three at the buzzer that would’ve put the Lakers up 1-0 and thinking LA would shake off the cobwebs and win in five or maybe six. When the series ended, I kept going back to Bryant’s three that never was, how it couldn’t have missed by more than an inch, and what would’ve happened from that point on if it went in.

Several factors decide whether a talented team will surge or fizzle at various inflection points on any given playoff run. The psychological momentum held in that one fading three was immense. Had it gone in, the Mavs could have overcome its devastating toll and still won it all, but to do so before earning the collective confidence every champion must acquire would’ve been next to impossible. The Lakers were so close yet so far away.

Their collapse then led to the Dwight Howard-Steve Nash apocalypse, while simultaneously cheating us of a possible Lakers-Heat showdown in that year’s Finals. What a shame.

4) 2000 San Antonio Spurs

Regular season record: 53-29

Key losses: None

Key additions: Terry Porter

San Antonio’s first title defense ended before it began when 23-year-old Tim Duncan tore the lateral meniscus in his left knee during Game 78 of his third season. The Spurs limped into the playoffs as a 53-win, No. 4 seed, where they were swiftly handled by a Phoenix Suns team that didn’t have their own best player (Jason Kidd) for the first three games, thanks to a broken ankle.

Looking back, though, all that really matters are the circumstances that surrounded Duncan’s knee. It’s an overlooked what-if moment in NBA history, full of incredible foresight and head-shaking details that make the whole thing seem avoidable if the Spurs knew then what we know now.

On one hand, Duncan averaged 42.5 minutes in the 10 games before he was shut down, including 48 (!!) in his season finale against Sacramento — a six-point overtime win in which Duncan finished 6-for-22 from the field and was not subbed out at all in the first and third quarters. (To put this in context, Giannis Antetokounmpo has crossed the 40-minute mark twice in the last two seasons.)

On the other hand, Gregg Popovich was wise enough to put Duncan on ice. Who knows how his knee/career would’ve been affected had he played, or even if that year’s champion — the first of three straight for Kobe Bryant’s and Shaquille O’Neal’s Lakers — would’ve been too much for them to handle.

San Antonio swept LA from the playoffs the previous year. The Lakers were talented but unproven, nearly falling against Sacramento in the first round after a 67-win regular season. Eventually they needed a Trail Blazers collapse in Game 7 of the conference finals to finally break through; it’s fair to wonder how any of this would’ve gone down had the Spurs let Duncan loose.

”I don’t know if it was right or wrong,” Popovich said over a decade later. “But we did it.”

Looking back on it, the Spurs had 34-year-old David Robinson (who was still an all-star/monster) and Sean Elliot rounding into shape after a kidney transplant forced him to miss the first three quarters of the season. From there, Terry Porter, Mario Elie, and Avery Johnson (who made one three in 2,571 minutes) were on their last legs, long before Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili injected new life into the organization.

The Spurs famously never went back-to-back in the Duncan era. This was low-key their best chance to do so.

3) 2009 Boston Celtics

Regular season record: 62-20

Key losses: James Posey, P.J. Brown

Key additions: None

Kobe Bryant’s first ring without Shaquille O’Neal came on a 65-win, revenge-fueled Lakers squad that spent all season stewing over their miserable Finals experience the previous June. The wheelchair game. The 24-point comeback at Staples Center (in which Ray Allen made the biggest *layup* of his career). That listless 39-point beatdown in Game 6. In 2009 they weren’t the best Lakers team ever, but did have a healthy and mountainous 21-year-old Andrew Bynum back in the starting lineup. No team in the Western Conference stood much of a chance.

But on the other side of the bracket, the Celtics were their own machine, emboldened by a champion’s aplomb, benefit of continuity, and Rajon Rondo’s steady bloom into a stud. The Celtics started the season 27-2, including a 19-game win streak that was ended on Christmas Day by the 23-5 Lakers.

As every member of their fanbase is well aware, in Boston’s first game after the NBA All-Star Game break the 44-11 Celtics were decapitated when Kevin Garnett injured his knee trying to catch a lob against the Utah Jazz. He tested it out a few weeks later but the results were pitiful relative to Garnett’s usual standards: 9 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 16.5 minutes in four games. He wasn’t healthy enough for the playoffs.

Without the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Boston eventually scraped past Derrick Rose’s hungry Bulls in a classic seven-game series that included five games decided by three or fewer points before they blew a 3-2 lead against the Magic. (When it became clear Garnett would miss the entire postseason, Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck said this about the first-place Cavs: “They earned home court, they earned the best record, they are clearly a championship-quality team, and in my opinion they have the best basketball player on the planet right now: Mo Williams.”)

A series against the Cavs would’ve been a dog fight even if Garnett’s knee was 100 percent, but, as was made clear the following year, the Celtics were just about impossible to beat four times in seven tries when everybody was healthy. (Did you know their starting five never lost a playoff series? It’s true.)

This was before the three-point revolution, when physicality, size, and defense dictated wins and losses. On that end, Garnett and Boston’s defensive coordinator Tom Thibodeau owned the league with a back line overload concept that everybody else tried to copy. LeBron James was already the best player in the world, but Cleveland had yet to give him enough help.

Garnett’s knee robbed the Celtics of an epic Finals rematch. Instead, Courtney Lee missed a layup, Jameer Nelson forgot how to play transition defense, and the Lakers snuffed out Orlando in five.

One year later, Boston and LA met again, but by then the Celtics were on fumes. Garnett wasn’t the same player, and, even for a team that routinely struggled to score points throughout their time as a championship contender, the 2010 Finals were a particularly bumpy rock fight.

The Celtics emerged from the Garnett era with one ring, which is impressive by itself. But his injury in 2009 stole an opportunity everyone in Boston wished they could have back.

2) 2012 Dallas Mavericks

Regular season record: 36-30

Key losses: Peja Stojakovic, JJ Barea, Tyson Chandler, Corey Brewer, DeShawn Stevenson

Key additions: Vince Carter, Lamar Odom, Delonte West, Brandan Wright

Poor Dirk Nowitzki. It’s either recency bias or the deflating way Dallas allowed its only champion to implode overnight, but this team inspired me to write this article more than any other. The only championship team in franchise history was kind of like a sturdy Jenga tower, if that makes any sense. So long as every piece was in the right place, they had a breadth of complementary skill-sets who all belonged — an embodiment of the idea that the sum can be greater than its individual parts.

Unfortunately, six guys were free agents that offseason, and the only one Dallas retained was Brian “The Janitor” Cardinal, whose three-point percentage dropped from 48.3 to 20.4. Not great!

One particular decision still pains Mavs fans to this day. At the time, with the lockout sewing a modest amount of confusion into every team’s long-term strategy, Mark Cuban sided with long-term flexibility over the 29-year-old defensive anchor Tyson Chandler. Instead of keeping a good thing (with a narrow window of contention) going, they fell in love with the idea of pairing another free agent star with Nowitzki. One in the hand is worth two in the bush, etc.

Hindsight is 20/20, but even at the time this felt icky. Since, the Mavericks have advanced past the first round precisely zero times; in 2012 the Mavs were swept in Round 1 by Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden’s Oklahoma City Thunder. It’s fair to look at the talent in Oklahoma City and say Dallas capitalized on its one and only chance, but Nowitzki, Jason Kidd, Shawn Marion, and Jason Terry deserved an opportunity to sustain their magic against LeBron James’ Heat one more time.

Chandler went on to win Defensive Player of the Year during his first season with the Knicks, and eventually came back to Dallas in 2015. By then the landscape had shifted. Golden State was starting a dynasty and Nowitzki was 36. “Obviously it would have been better if we could have kept him, right?” Cuban said at Chandler’s press conference in 2014. “But our hand was dealt with all the changes. All’s well that ends well. I think it turned out just the way we wanted, just the way I planned.”

A year later, Chandler was in Phoenix. The Mavs, having thought DeAndre Jordan was in the bag, were left in the cold once again.

1) 2007 Miami Heat

Regular season record: 44-38

Key losses: None

Key additions: None

For these Heat, “sad,” as it’s described in the introduction of this article, equals “pathetic.” This team was as mediocre as it was forgettable as it was disappointing. For just a moment, try and get past the fact they were the first defending champion in over 50 years to get swept from the first round, and instead focus on how they made zero essential changes to their championship roster during the offseason and then lost their season opener by 42 points!

Getting demolished in the playoffs was embarrassing but could at least be blamed on a regular season that was ravaged by injuries (Dwyane Wade missed 31 games and Shaquille O’Neal sat out 42). But to no-show your own ring ceremony? And only score 66 points!? Needless to say, this was officially the worst loss in league history by a defending champ on opening night.

Now, when you throw in the controversy that still surrounds Miami’s 2006 title — Oprah Winfrey might as well have stood on the baseline shouting “You get a whistle, and you get a whistle!” every time Wade drove into the paint — is there any title from the last 25 years that feels more random if that postseason were simulated 100 times? I’m not trying to disparage a championship run, but the league had no boogeyman in 2007, and the Eastern Conference was wide open once again.

In 2008, O’Neal was traded and Alonzo Mourning retired. They won 15 games and were awarded the second pick in the draft, which meant Michael Beasley instead of Derrick Rose. Eventually LeBron James saved Miami from the wilderness and forever altered how that organization is perceived. But back in 2007 they were, as Pat Riley said in early January — when he announced his own indefinite leave of absence to deal with personal health issues — ”We have a championship team that is sideways right now, so this is going to be a great challenge. Keep your notebooks open. We’ll see how it plays out.”

Narrator: It played out like a complete and total catastrophe. Some might point to the injuries and the age-related decline, but that’s kind of an excuse. This team is remembered as a defending champion that had no interest in wanting to do it all over again. That’s not what you want.

[auburnfamilynews]

It is finally game week and in just a few days, half the teams in America will have a loss. For some teams, that loss won’t torpedo their chances to be in contention for a National Championship run. In just a few days, all the superlatives, all the hyperbole, all of the preseason talk simply will not matter. Perhaps the best part of all of this is how the off field issues will take a back seat, if not disappear all together when the play on the field begins. 

For the most part, there isn’t a team in America that this applies to more than the Auburn Tigers. Of course Auburn hasn’t had any legitimate off-field concerns, a refreshing experience compared to the rest of the nation and a true testament to what having a good Christian man will do for a program. Between the lines, Auburn will set the tone for the year in the biggest game of week one as they take on No. 6 Washington in the Kickoff Classic.

All of the questions about the Tigers that have filled the summer discussion will likely be answered this Saturday in Atlanta when Chris Peterson’s Huskies meet the Tigers in Atlanta. None of those questions are new to you readers, but my thoughts on them may be. 

Regardless of his desire to stay on the west coast, it’s only a matter of time before Chris Peterson is lured away to the SEC. His family has kept him localized to that area, where he has become one of the top three X’s and O’s coaches in the country. He’s done more with less than anyone else, first at Boise State and now at Washington. Peterson has the most experienced quarterback in the nation with Jake Browning, one of the very best backs in Miles Gaskin, and one of the top defenses in college football.

That folks, is a recipe for a national championship run, if there ever was one. Despite having to replace some key defenders as well as NFL receiver Dante Pettis, Washington is still loaded. And nobody coaches players up and has them prepared for game day like Peterson.

On the other side of the field will be Auburn coach, Gus Malzahn. Recruiting top-tier talent has never been an issue for Malzahn. Getting that talent to perform up to their billing has been. With the addition of Kevin Steele as defensive coordinator, the defense is finally becoming an elite unit that performs up to expectations. However, while Malzahn’s offense has shown flashes of dominance since his arrival in 2013, there have also been issues with offensive game preparation as well as player development. While I know this may be an unpopular opinion, none the less it has been, at times, an issue.

The woes in development have come at two specific spots: quarterback and receiver. Malzahn has yet to take a kid out of high school and turn them into a legit playmaker. Sean White could have been that player, but he left the team after at least showing signs of life when he wasn’t a busted up player.

Still, Gus has at least proven with Jarrett Stidham that he can make quarterbacks better. The Baylor transfer didn’t look the part of an elite QB at the start of 2017, yet looked like a first rounder by season’s end. Hopefully we’ll see even more improvement in a full year under Chip Lindsey and coach Malzahn.

In terms of receivers, Auburn has recruited the position better than anyone in the country, but has yet to take that unit and make anything beyond a deep ball catching group of players. So far, Malzahn has put this group in the hands of two former Auburn players, neither of which truly played the position. Kody Burns is now listed as a co-coordinator for the Tigers, a meteoric rise for any young coach, much less one that hasn’t proven to have the chops to elevate his position group’s play. With a new O-line and the lack of a proven running back, the short and intermediate passing game will be the lifeblood of this offense early in the year and Burns’ group is the lynch-pin for success in that scenario. 

Traditionally, Malzhan’s preparation for the season’s first game has left much to be desired. While Auburn has won most of those contests, they’ve never been pretty. Case in point was last season’s opener to Georgia Southern. The 41-7 score didn’t truly reflect that Stidham was sacked three times and had less than 200 yards passing with an interception. Auburn ran the ball effectively behind one of the best offensive lines in the country. Yet, the next week, the line surrendered 11 sacks to Clemson. That line was eventually reshuffled and became dominant down the stretch. In the case of the 2016 loss to Clemson, Auburn looked like they hadn’t game-planned at all, as six players took snaps.

The 2013 Washington State, 2014 Arkansas, and 2015 Louisville wins were great for the win-loss column, but in retrospect, each showed a flaw which would become an alarming trend: Malzahn has not shown an ability to use extended time to prepare for opponents. This has shown up, time and again in bowl games, the most recent being the head-scratching loss to UCF. Derrick and I have discussed this, in depth multiple times in our podcast (which you can listen to on Soundcloud by Information Systems Assurance - 2nd Edition ). 

This year offers some new preparation challenges for Malzahn because for the first time, there is a serious question at running back. Kam Martin has been tabbed as the starter by virtually everyone, but these people are just looking at the “next man up” based upon last year’s stats. Martin will not be the feature back by the LSU game. Jatarvious Whitlow will.

The bigger question will be the offensive line. Even with a deep group of upperclassmen, Malzahn exited fall camp with Prince Tega Wanogho as a starter. Despite Wanogho being obviously in over his head against Georgia Southern, Malzahn and position coach Herb Hand doggedly stuck with him until after the Clemson loss. Eventually transfer Casey Dunn came to center, moving Austin Golson out to his natural position and things clicked. But, once again, it made fans wonder what Malzahn and Hand had been seeing all summer and fall.

This season will feature essentially a new and relatively inexperienced line, a bad thing for a team that relies on running the ball in the SEC. It’s possible they will over achieve and come out of the gate ready to compete, but most likely Stidham and the short to intermediate passing game are going to have to carry the load, a liability as mentioned above. 

The game in Atlanta will set the tone for the season, and while Auburn can easily lose this game and still make the playoff, Washington cannot. This is the final chink in the armor that should have fans on edge about the opener. Auburn has little motivation to win this game, other than pride. Malzahn has proven thus far that his preparation relies on evolving his team over the season. And this year he won’t have a veteran offensive line to road grade for whomever might be toting the rock. These are not problems for the team on the other sideline.

The saving grace is that Auburn’s defense will be ready and they are deeper and more talented than Washington can deal with for an entire game. Auburn is favored in this game, as they should be, but Malzahn has to have this team ready to play to come out with the victory.

The post Tuesday’s Game Week Thoughts appeared first on Track 'Em Tigers, Auburn's oldest and most read independent blog.

from Track 'Em Tigers, Auburn's oldest and most read independent blog http://trackemtigers.com/tuesdays-game-week-thoughts/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tuesdays-game-week-thoughts

[cryptobully-blog]

Ripple [XRP], Cardano [ADA], IOTA [MIOTA] - Sleeping with the fishes? - Sentiment Analysis - April 6

https://cryptobully.com/ripple-xrp-cardano-ada-iota-miota-sleeping-with-the-fishes-sentiment-analysis-april-6/

Ripple [XRP], Cardano [ADA], IOTA [MIOTA] - Sleeping with the fishes? - Sentiment Analysis - April 6

Almost all the major coins hit a double bottom in the last month and all the tokens are struggling to wake up from their deep slumber. The cryptocurrencies have not yet gotten out of the reddish zone and the bearish market still goes on. The investors all around the world have become desperate and are hoping for a relief. The market’s total capital has come down to $248.260 billion which is a matter that is perturbing the cryptocurrency enthusiasts all around the world. Most of the top coins currently show no significant price movements as of now.

The aim and objective of our sentiment analysis is to bring to you worldwide sentiments about the market trends from every nook and corner of the world. This is done by interviewing a group of investors, miners, journalists, skeptics, and influencers and including their valuable opinions here in this segment. Today’s analysis is on three of the biggest names in the cryptocurrency world which are in the top 15 list and are: Ripple [XRP], Cardano [ADA] and IOTA [MIOTA].

Ripple [XRP]

Ripple, at 2:20 PM UTC, was trading at a price of $0.471 with a market capital of $18.421 billion. It has incurred a loss of 4.00% in its price in the last 24 hours. Since April 4th this year, when it peaked at $0.561, the bears have pulled down the coin hard and the investors are hoping for a reversal. Even though the cryptocurrency manages to hold the $0.47 support against the US dollars, the market for the coin still looks bearish. The recovery level for the coin is $0.50 which has not been reached by the coin after it fell from that level.

Derrick Walberg, an altcoin reporter from Adelaide says:

“Sadly for Ripple, the bearish market continues. There is a selling pressure on Ripple right now and the analysts say that it can explode at any moment.”

Ouyang Zhao, an altcoin investor from Hong Kong says:

“A massive sell continuation pattern has been created along with a 12 hour death cross formation. XRP tried to break through a few days ago, but the bulls failed to keep it over and above and thus it failed to change its trend so far. XRP seems to be a crashing coin trapped inside a crashing market.”

To conclude, 64% of Ripple respondents feel that the coin will fall because of the death cross formation and it will go down to the lowest levels. While another 36% of Ripple respondents feel that once the coin gets listed in the major exchanges like Coinbase, the chances for XRP’s bull run are high.

Cardano [ADA]

Cardano, the 7th most popular coin, at 3:05 PM UTC, was trading at $0.144 with a market capital of $3.748 billion. The coin has been showing redundant patterns for one week with no major changes with regards to both hikes and dips in the prices. The prices have failed to move higher with a support at $0.14 against the US dollars. There is a short-term bearish trend line which has been formed near the resistance level.

Mel Anderson, an altcoin miner from Perth says:

“There was an expected bullish trend for ADA but it seems like the bulls did not take it. It was a bull trap and we all fell for it. The support at $0.14 might soon be broken and the coin will fall down further. The bears might take it far down that it might even hit the rock bottom. From there a reversal can be expected. Till then we have to wait.”

Angela Nelson, a cryptocurrency expert from Nashville says:

“ADA broke a few important support levels such as $0.1600 and $0.1500 and during the slide it even broke the $0.1450 support and even settled below the 100 hourly simple moving average. These all are negative signs and points more declines below $0.1500.”

To conclude 55% of the ADA respondents have realised the bull trap and are now relying on the coins present support levels. Another 45% of the ADA respondents feel bullish about the coin’s potential and that it will be back on track soon.

IOTA [MIOTA]

The coin is plummeting down further as at 3:36 PM UTC. The coin trades at $0.935 with a market capital of $2.600 billion. The cryptocurrency is ranked at number 11 but the present status looks reddish for the coin. It has experienced a dip of 3.29% and it has broken the major support level which was at $1. It went to an intra-day low $0.930 around 5 hours ago and clearly, it has not been able to get back to the green zone.

James Connolly, a blockchain correspondent from Virginia says:

“The coin has to stay above the $1 mark to bounce back. Now it seems like it is highly unlikely. But we can’t run into a conclusions soon because we have seen such patterns before and big time reversals coming out of the blue. The token is presently under a selling pressure.”

Fredrick Dickinson, an investor from Portsmouth says:

“I’m going to sell the coin at $1.45 till then I have no other option but to HODL. This is the first time since I invested that I have had to HODL without any joyous feeling. The profoundness related to the cryptocurrency world is diminishing and god only knows what’s in store for us in future.”

To conclude, 77% of the IOTA respondents did not take the drop of the price below $1 very well and they are really disappointed. Another 33% are hoping that the coin will go back above $1 mark and onto a bullish breakout.

Ripple

[stormyrecords-blog]

new arrivals 11-17-17

stormy records13306 michigan avedearborn, mi 48126 313-581-9322 the holiday season is about to be here. we're looking forward to helping you all find thoughtful musical artifacts to bring joy to you and yours. stop by and talk turkey - literally - while looking over all the great items in the shop!! new arrivals for 11-17-17 HAINO/JIM O'ROURKE/OREN AMBARCHI, KEIJIThis Dazzling, Genuine "Difference" Now Where Shall It Go?  2LP  $34.99Black Truffle presents the eighth full-length release from the trio of Keiji Haino, Jim O'Rourke, and Oren Ambarchi. Over the course of four LP sides, the October 2014 concert documented here ranges from rock power trio dynamics to maelstroms of analog electronics. Once again, the three demonstrate their commitment to pushing into new areas of instrumental exploration and group interaction. Where their previous releases featured extended vocal workouts from Haino, his vocalizations here are restricted to the occasional impassioned cry, putting the focus squarely on instrumental interplay. More than ever before, this feels like the work of three equals, with O'Rourke or Ambarchi taking the lead role as often as Haino does. The four pieces presented here each focus on extended development. The first side is propelled by Ambarchi's busy, Jack DeJohnette-esque cymbal and tom work, which provides a skittering yet insistent pulse over which Haino and O'Rourke's FX-saturated strings rise and fall, momentarily converging for passages of near stasis before wandering through areas of gently sour discord; O'Rourke's use of a six-string bass here boosts the harmonic density of the music and often makes his contribution difficult to distinguish from Haino's guitar. On the second side, O'Rourke uses his pedals to make his bass near unrecognizable, generating a squelching, harmonically unstable riff that Ambarchi accompanies with a semi-martial snare pattern. Haino moves between frenetic octave-doubled fuzz riffing and streams of feedback. The third side is the most abstract; Continuing Haino's explorations of new instruments, the side opens with a long passage of toy piano. Alongside occasional vocal interjections from Haino (singing in English), Ambarchi creates delicate textures on cymbals and metallic percussion while O'Rourke, for the first time in this group, performs on the EMS Synthi. With Haino joining in with his own electronics, the side eventually builds to a chaotic climax. Beginning with a sequence of "fourth world" drums and flute, the final side unfolds an epic build-up over a hypnotic foundation of pounding toms. Moving from flute to vocals to electronics, Haino eventually picks up the guitar in the second half of the piece, igniting a spectral blur over driving rhythms from bass and drums that eventually builds to a frenzied climax. Cover image by Traianos Pakioufakis; Live action pics by Mike Kubeck. LP design by Stephen O'Malley; Gatefold sleeve. Mastered and cut by Rashad Becker at Dubplates & Mastering. GORDON, JOHNErotica Suite  LP  $25.99Everland Jazz present an official reissue of John Gordon's Erotica Suite, originally released in 1978. One of the rarest albums on Strata-East Records. a great later label effort under the leadership of trombonist John Gordon -- with work by James Spaulding on alto and flute, John Miller on piano and keyboards, Waymond Reed on trumpet, Lyle Atkinson on bass, and Frank Derrick on drums and bells; The whole thing has a very spiritual feel, and it features the long "Erotica Suite", plus "Ora Lee Tingle", "Blue Na", and "Neleh". Licensed by Strata-East Records. GAINSBOURG & JEAN-CLAUDE VANNIER, SERGELes Chemins De Katmandou  LP  $29.99After decades in the making, Finders Keepers present the first-ever pressing of Serge Gainsbourg's most elusive and coveted soundtrack studio recordings, co-written, arranged, and orchestrated by the genius Jean-Claude Vannier (the arranger behind 1971's Histoire De Melody Nelson) during what many consider to be the dynamic duo's most definitive creative period. Believed to have been lost in a studio fire by Gainsbourg enthusiasts for over forty years (a myth that also shrouds Morricone's lost Danger Diabolik soundtrack), the misplaced master-tapes for the drug-fueled/Mai 68 cash-in/road-movie Les Chemins De Katmandou (1969) have been widely considered the final audio jigsaw piece in an immaculate discography/filmography, thus earning this soundtrack bona fide holy grail status amongst the most avid disc detectives. Featuring the original crack team of Paris based players now recognized as French library music royalty, this album epitomizes the inimitable musical direction and expert psychedelic pop musicianship that graced classic Gainsbourg/Vannier soundtracks like La Horse (1970), Cannabis (1970), and Sex Shop (1972), the sound that laid the stylistic, future-proof foundations for subsequent decades of forward-thinking Gallic funk mastery. Comprising Vannier's signature recipe of thick plucked bass lines, close-mic'd drums, biting clavinet, and Eastern influenced strings and percussion (and a sprinkling of subtle traditional French instrumentation) the soundtrack to Les Chemins De Katmandou ("The Road To Katmandu", or "The Pleasure Pit") captures Vannier and Gainsbourg in the first year of their creative partnership capturing their unique embryonic energy. The music on this record contains the full extent of the music found on the newly discovered studio tapes. It has since been preserved through the "baking" process, re-emulsified, transferred, remastered, and recompiled and sequenced in accordance with the original screenplay in close collaboration with Finders Keepers and inaugural artist, Jean-Claude Vannier. BAKER/SIMON GOFF/THOR HARRIS, AIDANNoplace  LP  $29.99Noplace is an improvised collaboration between Aidan Baker (Nadja, Caudal, B/B/S/), Simon Goff (Molecular, Bee & Flower), and Thor Harris (Swans, Shearwater, Thor & Friends). Having known each other for a number of years and previously contributed to one another's recordings, this trio finally came together as a whole on May 7th, 2017 at Redrum Studios in Berlin. In a short, improvised session of just a few hours, they set about laying down as much material as possible which was then subsequently edited and re-worked (without overdubs) to form this album. The same evening the trio played together as part of a nine-piece Thor & Friends ensemble which also included Christopher Hefner (on musical saw) whose artwork graces the cover of the record and gave it its name. Noplace is a hypnotic and deep listen. Kinetic rhythms pulsate throughout whilst the guitar and violin jostle and weave around the metronomic beats, creating a cathartic and all-encompassing experience. The very nature of the instrumental repetitions gives it an immediate avant/krautrock feel but the whole record is coated in a wonderful psychedelic atmosphere that's both melodic, textured, and innovative. Without doubt a perfect marriage and the sum of its parts. You would be forgiven for thinking Noplace took years to craft, but that's testament to three excellent musicians who have produced a real treat of a record. Broken down into seven pieces, but best enjoyed as a thrilling whole, Noplace is a powerful and highly addictive album. File under: avant/krautrock/improv/experimental. Artwork by Christopher Hefner. Mastered by Lawrence English. Includes download code; 180 gram vinyl; Edition of 500. KONSTRUKT & KEIJI HAINOA Philosophy Warping, Little By Little That Way Lies A Quagmire  LP  $23.99Turkish free jazzers Konstrukt and the Japanese avant-garde/noise icon Keiji Haino present their first collaboration album. Formed early 2008 in Istanbul, Konstrukt have since been gaining high reputation and an ever-growing audience within European improvised music circles. Over the past decade, the Turkish free jazzers not only released a couple of superb albums under their own name -- they also regularly invite significant musicians like Peter Brötzmann, Joe McPhee, William Parker, Akira Sakata, Marshall Allen, Evan Parker, Thurston Moore, Michael Zerang, Alfred Harth, or Alexander Hawkins for recording sessions and/or concerts (a.o. at festivals like A L'arme, .Konfrontationen Nickels-Dorf, Krakow Jazz Autumn). Their latest work A Philosophy Warping, Little By Little That Way Lies A Quagmire sees Konstrukt team up with Keiji Haino -- and besides all the elements you may well expect from such a musical meeting like Konstrukt's "acerbic razor-edged sound" (Mark Corroto, All About Jazz) and Haino's unmistakable voice/guitar explosions, there's also some real surprises... Personnel: Korhan Futacı - alto and tenor saxophones, zurna, kaval, sipsi, instant loops, voice; Umut Çaglar - Moog (MicroMoog), Korg (X-911), gralla, bamboo flutes, xylophones, percussion, tape echo, Vermona (Retroverb); Berkan Tilavel - Nord (Drum2), electronic percussion, tef, cymbal; Erdem Göymen - drums, cymbals, percussion; Keiji Haino: electric guitar, percussion, voice, airsynths. Cover painting "Escape" by Artur Trojanowski. Recorded and mixed by Ozan Öner at Pür Recording Studio, Istanbul. Mastered by Rashad Becker at Dubplates & Mastering, Berlin. SUN RA & HIS ARKESTRAFeaturing Pharaoh Sanders And Black HaroldLP  $29.99"'To understand the significance of the word 'featuring' on Featuring Pharoah Sanders And Black Harold, consider how infrequently Sun Ra used it and the exact way it had been used. The October Revolution in Jazz, organized by Bill Dixon in the West Village in 1964, presented a vivid cross section of approaches to the new music, including a sextet led by Ra. For the October Revolution's continuation, titled Four Days in December, held at nearby Judson Hall on the last days of 1964, the Arkestra performance presented Pharoah Sanders as well as a flautist (who was and remained obscure thereafter) named Harold Murray, nicknamed Black Harold. It wasn't until long after Sanders had achieved worldwide acclaim with John Coltrane that Ra and manager Alton Abraham decided to issue the music they'd recorded at Judson Hall. After its first release in plain or hand-decorated covers in 1976, Featuring Pharoah Sanders And Black Harold remained an exceptionally rare item in the El Saturn discography, known to a few lucky collectors. We're lucky to have this glimpse of what Sanders sounded like in such a different context, galvanizing the large group and in turn being inspired to make his first significant contribution on record.' --John Corbett (excerpt from the liner notes)" PROGETTO MORTEProgetto MorteLP  $25.99In 1995, Marco Corbelli shaped an interesting side-project, Progetto Morte, in collaboration with Walter Piano. The outcome of these twisted minds was a tape with the same title of the project recorded at Corbelli's home on June 10, 1995 and released the same year on Slaughter Productions with a booklet with the lyrics of the seven tracks, wrote by Walter Piano in Italian, and with the first Progetto Morte proclamation (translated in English too) revealing the nihilistic concept of this new alliance: the total sense of no-existence. The tracks on cassette are monolithic machines of industrial death that are portrayed in lovingly, grating, and rasping detail, with engines of soul rapine and pulsating, paranoid words eager to slice their way through soft flesh. The putrescence is tangible, and one could almost smell and taste the miasma of decay that pervades the entire vinyl. A blood and thunder, bass-heavy assault on the senses. Cold and surgical power electronics inspired by death, diseases, and suicide. Reprinted for the first in LP, tracks were remastered from the original tapes. Comes in a deluxe silver silkscreen on black cardboard sleeve; Includes booklet with lyrics (in Italian) and flyer from the first USA concert in 1996; Black inner sleeve; 140 gram vinyl; Edition of 199. PATHAK, PANDIT ASHOKAncient Court Raga Traditions  CD $13.992017 repress. Subtitled: The Pathak Gharana, Dhrupad Ragas On Surbahar. Performed by Pandit Ashok Pathak (surbahar). Ancient Court Raga Traditions is comprised of two long tracks: "Raga Malkauns" and "Raga Bagesri," recorded in 2000. Only part of India's noblest classical instrumental traditions have been adequately documented on recordings, beginning with sitarist Imdad Khan in 1905. With the compact disc, raga performances could expand from pioneering 4-minute excerpts on 78 rpm discs to span well beyond an hour on CD, allowing full development and style to unfold. One vital court style remains in a fragmentary way: the ancient art of dhrupad, characterized by slowly singing and playing, which favored the arrhythmic alap section, based on the ancient Vedic chant. Too few of these family-based traditions survived the ending of royal patronage. Amongst them are the Pathaks, representing a musical lineage through 5 generations of dhrupad singers, veena players and sitarists, with the current generation including a composer and tabla player. Balaram Pathak introduced the use of harmonics on sitar with meend, heard on his one CD. This unique practice has been further explored by (his son) Ashok, who uses it extensively, along with thematic playing on the sympathetic strings. Before beginning a raga, he dwells on these strings, at times playing two simultaneously, creating harmonies which he adopted after having heard it in pre-Renaissance Western music (in polyphonic works by Perotin, Josquin des Prez, etc.). The recording took place over two afternoons. Each raga was played through once and without any changes or edits, and the decision was made to play "Raga Malkauns" on the second afternoon. As Balaram Pathak recorded one short work on surbahar, these performances further reveal the rare court tradition Pandit Ashok represents, its continuation despite the odds of a diminishing public which prefers khyal, and the musical contributions made by the performer himself to further their lineage. WIRE, THE#406 December 2017  MAG $10.50"On the cover: Inside the dream world of Quantum Natives (Scattered across the globe but digitally connected, Brood Ma Yearning Kru, recsund, Rosen and other QN operatives are forging parallel futures for electronic sound and vision). Inside the issue: Hedley Jones (The Jamaican audio engineer died in September having altered the course of 20th century music with his sound system innovations); Li Jianhong & Wei Wei (Blending horror and sci-fi obsessions with DIY experimentation, the musical initiatives of Li Jianhong and Wei Wei have placed them at the cutting edge of the Beijing scene); Once Upon A Time In Sao Paolo (The collision of pop and avant garde music in the late 1970s gave rise to the fiercely independent and still influential vanguarda paulista movement); Invisible Jukebox: Tyshawn Sorey." Upcoming events at Trinosophes Friday, Nov. 27:  City of Djinn,  Lime Rickey InternationalChicago's  City of Djinn is the duo of Marwan Kamel and Micah Bezold - together they create a sonic tapestry of dark, psychedelic, drone rock that draws from experimental music vernacular as well the maqam tradition  Lime Rickey is the  the alter-ego of Leyya Mona Tawil, an artist working with voice and performance  embedded  with political and cultural confusions.  Doors at 9:30 pm; $8. Friday, Nov 3: Embral, Devotional,   LyransDevotional is a trio performing and preserving the Hindustani repertoire indigenous to North Redford. Andrew Coltrane performs on electric sitar and electronics, Jeff Meier plays tenor guitar and Mike Khoury plays amplified viola. Also performing are electronic warriors Embral, from Erie PA and Detroit electronics and percussion collective Lyrans.  Doors at 8 pm; $8. Coming soon 12/2: NOW! (Alex Harding, Vincent Chandler, Leonard King, Phil Hales) 12/6: Larry Oches/Nels Cline/Gerald Cleaver Trio.12/23: Polyfold EL CLUB UPCOMING SHOWS  (most shows all ages - ticket will say all ages or not)remember - tickets are cash only. this saves us all the service charges!! parquet courts thurs nov 16th $17daniel ceasar sun nov 19th $15 MARBLE BAR (all shows 18 and over) cold specks wed nov 29th $10 ASSEMBLE SOUND (18 and over) the blow, ema fri nov 17th $13

[oselatra]

24 hours in El Dorado

Arkansas's newest cultural destination.

24 HOURS

IN

El Dorado

arkansas's newest cultural destination.

In case you missed it, El Dorado is making big moves. $100 million moves, to be specific. On Sept. 28, the former oil boomtown celebrated the grand opening of the Murphy Arts District with a marathon of concerts from Migos, Train, Brad Paisley, Smokey Robinson — a lineup that served as a sort of statement for what kind of lively arts community (and eclectic patronage) MAD wants to develop, in part to boost the recruitment efforts of three publicly traded companies with headquarters in the area: Murphy Oil, Murphy USA and Deltic Timber. If, like most of us, your reasons to venture down pine-lined U.S. Highway 167 for a weekend trip to El Dorado have come up short, here's a snapshot of how you might spend a day in and around the Union County town.

First: Pitstop

El Dorado is a trek from Central Arkansas. Stop off at Fordyce and find the Round Table Coffee Shop at 115 W. First St. It's about as quaint small-town-slice-of-life as it gets, and you'll find the locals chewing the fat over coffee, an early lunch or late breakfast pastry at the charming train depot-turned-cafe. From the front steps, you can see the courthouse where Rolling Stones Ronnie Wood and Keith Richards were held after a 1975 arrest in the small town, an incident alluded to by the iconic tongue and lips on the sign for the nearby 4-Dice Restaurant, where the famously reckless rockers stopped for lunch.

Or pick up some Spudnuts

You might think a mention of El Dorado, even in its pre-MAD years, would garner comments about the South Arkansas Symphony, the state's longest-running, or the city's ambitious college scholarship program, the "El Dorado Promise." Mostly, though, people talk about the donuts. Since 1948, The Spudnut Shoppe Company Inc. at 810 W. Faulkner St. has been serving deceptively light, airy concoctions they call Spudnuts, so named because they're made of potato flour. When you visit, you may notice a perfunctory tray of flavored varieties on the counter — blueberry donuts and chocolate-covered Bavarian creme. Ignore it. What you're looking for is the unadulterated article, the plain glazed Spudnut. If you must have something to accompany it, make it black coffee. I'd recommend you accompany another dozen potato rings out the door for later, but you won't need my urging.

Stroll through HISTORY

El Dorado makes no bones about its strong corporate ties or its oil boom history, and there are homages all over to the town's oil boom history. The Oil Heritage Park downtown, for example, is a sculptural guided tour through the oil boom of 1921 and the events that came after. Plaques on the plaza at 101 E. Cedar St. tell the story of oil "wildcatters" like H.L. Hunt, C.H. Murphy and Pat Marr, and of the time when a gas cap over the so-called Norphlet Dome exploded and "made a crater 500 feet across and 150 deep, which swallowed up the rig, the derrick and all of the drilling equipment," resulting in the discovery of the Smackover Oil Field and the subsequent ballooning of populations of little towns Smackover and Norphlet in the following weeks. They describe the barrelhouses that popped up along "Hamburger Row," and the madams and moonshine sales that the El Dorado police force was too small to control. In 1976, Barnette Oil Co.'s J.T. and Joanne Barnette donated a 12-foot-tall band wheel, a pale green remnant of the cable tool-rig days that stands at the entrance to the plaza.

Lunch like a local

You'll see lots of restaurant windowfronts in downtown El Dorado — the sprawling covered patio of the Laredo Grill, the cozy red brick Black Cat — but if you want to eat like you're from El Dorado, walk a couple of blocks southwest to 211 S. West Ave. Once called Woody's Grill, as a vintage photo on the walls inside reveals, Johnny B's is an unpretentious, family-run diner with little fanfare, and if the dining room was any indication of the typical crowd, it's clearly earned the devotion of the locals. The greasy spoon is tiny, with a curved corner window, a glass brick facade, loads of Coca-Cola paraphernalia and giant images of taco salads and breakfast plates lovingly rendered by airbrush on the windows. Plates piled high with curly bacon and chicken fried steaks emerge from a tiny window above a glass pie case, and you can order anything from burgers to Belgian waffles to boiled shrimp to the LLJ, an all dark-meat turkey patty served with peppered bacon and a bacon aioli that takes its name from the initials of the owner's three grandchildren.

Take a museum tour

MAD didn't start from scratch; El Dorado's MusicFest, its multimillion-dollar El Dorado High School Performing Arts Center and adjacent educational programs paved the way for the new arts district, and the town has a few museums to check out, too. The South Arkansas Arts Center at 110 E. Fifth St. celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2014 and features rotating exhibits in its three gallery spaces. If you don't mind a 15-minute detour, hop over to the Arkansas Museum of Natural Resources in Smackover, where there's a labyrinthian hall of exhibits on the science of oil extraction and refinement, as well as exhibits on the culture that sprung up around the drilling sites — cut-rate sleeper trains between Little Rock and El Dorado and depictions of after-sundown chaos in the lawless "Death Valley" to Smackover's north. (Did you know that Vaseline's active ingredient was discovered on the first oil rigs? Or that there was a circus performer named Rhene Salome Miller Meyer who became famous as Smackover's "Goat Woman" for singing opera, raising goats and playing seven instruments at once?) For devotees of Civil War history or antebellum architecture, the Newton House Museum, owned by the South Arkansas Historical Preservation Society, sits at 510 N. Jackson St. and offers a look at what life was like for a plantation owner in 1849 (spoiler: It was pretty cush.)

Happy Hour!

Speaking of the seedier side of El Dorado's past, Hill's Recreation Parlor at 205 E. Cedar St. — right in the epicenter of the Murphy Arts District — is the oldest running pool hall in the state, and it's not going anywhere. In fact, the Murphy Arts District project includes a renovation of the hall, whose back patio will serve as a de facto smoker's oasis outside the otherwise smoke-free MAD Amphitheater. Grab a cold one here before dinner, or enjoy a game of snooker.

Dinner

Part of developing a lively community is feeding people, and Dan Smith — the vice president of food and beverages for the Cleveland Indians and now vice president and general manager of the Murphy Arts District — aims to do it well. The Griffin Restaurant, a 200-seat "industrial chic" farm-to-table operation with a 100-foot sculpture of an oil drill outside, sits between MAD's two major entertainment venues and features signature cocktails and locally sourced plates. Excepting seafood, The Griffin stocks its kitchen from growers within a 150-mile radius of El Dorado, and features its farm partners on a mural inside. The wine list is a mile long and the booze offerings are plentiful: a Griffin Tree Sap made with Rocktown Distillery bourbon, maple simple syrup, Cointreau and blackberries; a Mad Margarita made with Sauza Blue-Silver tequila; and an El Dorado Tornado with Myers' rum, fresh orange juices, grenadine and Grand Marnier. You can keep it light with a Farmer's Market salad or a crudite plate with The Griffin's Smokin' Gorgi sauce, or feast on the Tournedos Griffin, two filet mignons atop grilled green tomatoes, one served with a red wine reduction and one with a Bearnaise. There's a Boat of Barbecue Shrimp with barbecue butter; a duck and Andouille gumbo; the Razorback and Mac cavatappi baked with three cheeses and pulled pork; and the signature jambalaya, made from Ralston Family Farms rice with andouille, Tasso ham, chicken and shrimp. And, in the event you didn't get your fill of Spudnuts earlier, or need a quick reminder, there's a dessert dish called The Lost Spudnut that makes use of the day-old offerings from the donut mainstay down the street. Make a reservation at http://ift.tt/2yMUSJ3. If you go on a Thursday night, there's live entertainment within; otherwise, you can visit the adjacent Griffin Music Hall or MAD Amphitheater for some after-dinner entertainment.

SEE A SHOW

The MAD launch concerts were only the beginning; check the lineup at eldomad.com for a calendar of shows at the elegant 2,000-seat Griffin Music Hall or the lush outdoor MAD Amphitheater. If you've got children, don't miss the adjacent playscape, one of the largest in the state.

Stay DOWNTOWN

Should your boomtown revelry render the two-hour trip back to Central Arkansas a non-option, curl up at the Union Square Guest Quarters, a collection of 31 rooms and suites sprinkled across downtown El Dorado. Acommodations range from a four-bedroom 1925 oil boom mansion to more modest suites, all of which are within walking distance of the entertainment district and come with access to the Healthworks Fitness Center, a complimentary breakfast served in the old Central of Georgia train coach and a discounted rate on packages at the nearby Spa on Main.

24 hours in El Dorado